Jeffrey Epstein’s Rhode Island Ties in Focus - Magaziner, Newport Super Yacht, and Brown
GoLocalProv News Team
Jeffrey Epstein’s Rhode Island Ties in Focus - Magaziner, Newport Super Yacht, and Brown
Magaziner is the father of Rhode Island's then-General Treasurer and now-United States Congressman Seth Magaziner.
The senior Magaziner is a close friend and adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton and at the time of GoLocal’s report, headed the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMagaziner repeatedly flew on Epstein’s jets and his personal phone number and private email were in Epstein’s “black book.”
GoLocal tracked through flight logs that Magaziner traveled with Epstein and with convicted felon Ghislaine Maxwell.
In December 2021, Maxwell was found guilty and convicted by a jury in U.S. federal court on five sex trafficking-related counts carrying a potential custodial sentence of up to 65 years' imprisonment: one of sex trafficking of a minor (maximum: 40 years), one of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (10 years) and three of conspiracy to commit felonies (15 years total).
According to flight records, the senior Magaziner flew on Epstein’s plane numerous times. The flight records show that Magaziner flew with Epstein and Clinton in Africa, China, and Hong Kong.
Magaziner has close ties to Clinton. During Clinton’s presidency, Magaziner was Senior Adviser for Policy Development leading the Clintons' effort for a national healthcare policy.
After his White House career, Magaziner chaired the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS program, with a focus on Africa.
One set of flights with Epstein was in September of 2002 in Africa that included a landing in Dubai. Besides Magaziner and Clinton, the flight log lists supermodel Naomi Campbell, and actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker.
Flight logs were released by a series of court orders tied to other litigation involving Epstein and Maxwell.
On another set of flights in 2003, the senior Magaziner traveled again with Epstein and Clinton in mainland China — to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, and then to Hong Kong.
Ira Magaziner has repeatedly refused to respond to GoLocal calls, emails, and text messages about his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.
Ira Magaziner’s Private Contact Info in Epstein’s Black Book
Another insight into Epstein’s network of friends and influencers was uncovered when his so-called ‘Black Book” was released. The book made headlines in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Vox.
A GoLocal review found that Ira Magaziner’s name was listed and his email was not that of his Clinton email, but his private consulting firm — SJS Advisors or SJS Inc.
Newport Supertacht and Victoria's Secret Billionaire
GoLocal also connected the Epstein directly to one of the world's most valuable superyachts, billionaire Les Wexner’s Limitless -- whose official registry port is Newport, Rhode Island.
Wexner was then-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L Brands, which owned Victoria’s Secret, Pink and Bath & Body Works. At the time, the company employed 80,000 and had sales in excess of $13 billion.
Epstein and Wexner have a longstanding intertwined personal and business relationship which includes Epstein buying Wexman’s New York City $70 million townhouse, serving as Wexner's money manager, traveling extensively together and helping Wexner build his $100 million yacht.
GoLocal Unveiled:
Money, Boats, and Businesses
Wexner and his family are listed as having a net worth of $4.7 billion, according to Forbes. He started the company in 1963, when he borrowed money from his aunt to launch the Limited.
Epstein was charged earlier in July by federal prosecutors alleging that the investor sexually abused numerous teenage girls.
“By 1995, Epstein was a director of the Wexner Foundation and Wexner Heritage Foundation and president of Wexner’s N.A. Property Inc., which developed the town of New Albany outside Columbus [Ohio] where Wexner lives. Epstein also played a role in building Wexner’s superyacht, “Limitless,” attending meetings at the boat’s design firm’s London studios,” reports Bloomberg.
The yacht’s home port is listed as Newport, Rhode Island according to CharterWorld — the preeminent site for yacht charters.
Limitless was completed in 1997. The 316-foot long yacht has a crew of 20 and sleeps 10.
"Mr. Wexner handed him [Epstein] sweeping powers over his finances, philanthropy and private life, according to interviews with people who knew the men as well as court documents and financial records," reported the NewYork Times. "Mr. Wexner authorized him to borrow money on his behalf, to sign his tax returns, to hire people and to make acquisitions. Over the years, Mr. Epstein obtained a New York mansion, a private plane and a luxury estate in Ohio — today valued at roughly $100 million all together — previously owned by Mr. Wexner or his companies. At the same time, he drove a wedge between Mr. Wexner and longtime associates and friends.”
As a money manager, Epstein repeatedly claimed he only worked with billionaires, but his friends included actor Kevin Spacey, former Harvard President Larry Summers and attorney for Claus Von Bulow and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who told Vanity Fair in 2011, “I’m on my 20th book….the only person outside of my immediate family that I send drafts to is Jeffrey.”
But while Epstein's friends included America's wealthiest and most influential, it was his friendship with Wexner that was special.
"Yet he [Epstein] does not deny that he and Wexner have a special relationship. Epstein sees it as a partnership of equals. 'People have said it’s like we have one brain between two of us: each has a side.'
'I think we both possess the skill of seeing patterns,' says Wexner. 'But Jeffrey sees patterns in politics and financial markets, and I see patterns in lifestyle and fashion trends. My skills are not in investment strategy, and, as everyone who knows Jeffrey knows, his are not in fashion and design. We frequently discuss world trends as each of us sees them,'" reported Vanity Fair.
Brown Donation
A GoLocal review of the donations by the Leon and Debra Black Foundation — a foundation that was been managed by billionaire investor Leon Balck, his wife Debra and Epstein -- shows that it made at least one donation to Brown University.
They were the three decision-makers for millions in charitable donations. According to IRS documents, Epstein continued to be a decision-maker even after he pled guilty to sexual assault and deemed a sexual predator.
GoLocal reviewed IRS documents from 2000 through 2013, when Epstein was removed as a director, but replaced by Brown University Trustee John Hannan, who himself made a $166,667 donation to Epstein's C.O.U.Q. Foundation, according to PERE News.
Leon Black was the co-founder and Chairman of Apollo Global Management and Hannan is another co-founder of one of the firm's affiliates.
According to federal tax records, the Debra and Leon Black Family Foundation made donations to a range of not-for-profit organizations including Harvard University, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the New York Jets Foundation, and the Tony Blair Foundation — the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Brown accepted $33,000 from the foundation while Epstein was one of the three directors.
Black has resigned from the chairmanship of Apollo.
