Billionaire Leon Black Walks Out of Epstein Hearing
Billionaire investor Leon Black walked out of a closed-door congressional hearing into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, after refusing to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements he may have signed.
Lawmakers responded by issuing two subpoenas before he had even left the building.
What Actually Happened at the Hearing
Black, the co-founder and former CEO of Apollo Global Management, had agreed to testify voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee, according to ABC News' reporting on the closed-door session.
Committee Chairman James Comer said Black stated during questioning that he "wasn't allowed to discuss the terms" of NDAs he was being asked about, prompting Comer to issue two subpoenas on the spot: one compelling Black to produce the agreements, and a second compelling an on-camera deposition under oath on July 16.
"We want to know, was Jeffrey Epstein involved in the NDAs?" Comer told reporters afterward. "Was he involved in writing? Was he involved in awarding funds to the women for the NDAs? What was the reason for the NDA?"
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What Black Actually Told the Committee
Before walking out, Black read a prepared opening statement addressing his relationship with Epstein directly, distinguishing sharply between what he says he knew and what he now understands.
"I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde," Black said, according to a copy of the statement shared with the BBC. He told the committee he did not become aware of Epstein's "nefarious activity" until Epstein was charged with trafficking in July 2019.
Black explicitly denied ever abusing a woman, being with an underage woman, engaging in sex trafficking, or paying Epstein for access to women — and said he had paid Epstein approximately $158 million over their association for what he described as legitimate tax, insurance, and estate planning advice, a sum that he said he originally believed was only $95 million until later disclosures revealed the larger figure.
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Why the $158 Million Figure Matters Beyond This Hearing
That payment total isn't new to investigators, and it's already been examined through a separate process before this week's hearing.
The figure was the subject of a Senate Finance Committee investigation into whether Black had intentionally overpaid Epstein, structuring payments for personal reasons as compensation for financial services instead.
Black's attorneys have pointed to an internal Apollo investigation conducted by the Dechert law firm, which concluded the fees paid to Epstein were for legitimate tax advice — a finding Black's legal team has cited repeatedly as evidence the payments were not improper, even as lawmakers continue examining the same transactions independently.
The Allegation Behind the NDA Questions
The specific NDA the committee pressed Black on traces back to a relationship that ended in litigation, not to Epstein's own criminal case.
According to a lawsuit filed by Guzel Ganieva, a former Russian model with whom Black had a six-year affair, Black prepared a nondisclosure agreement in 2015 to secure her silence following allegations of abuse. The lawsuit was later dismissed by a judge, who cited the NDA Ganieva had signed and approximately $9 million she received in the years after entering it.
Files released by the Department of Justice show Epstein offering Black advice connected to the situation, including suggesting in an email to Black's assistant that he hire former law enforcement officers to approach Ganieva, with Epstein writing: "Choose method of message delivery, my choice... who may knock on her door and present the terms." Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, has called Ganieva's underlying accusation "demonstrably false," and Black has previously said he was the victim of extortion. None of these allegations against Black have been proven in court.
What Both Sides Are Saying Now
The walkout itself has become a point of dispute, with each side characterizing Black's departure differently.
Estrich called the committee's decision to issue subpoenas during the interview "a planned political stunt," adding that the panel "did not ask a single question about the legitimate payments to Epstein for professional services on tax and estate matters."
The committee's top Democrat, Robert Garcia, framed the moment in starkly different terms: "Leon Black had a chance to do the right thing and help us bring justice to the survivors. Instead, he ran out of the room when he was pressed for information about his non-disclosure agreements with women and his relationship with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein." Garcia added that Black "will be held accountable if he doesn't comply with our investigation."
Key Takeaways
- Billionaire Leon Black walked out of a House Oversight Committee hearing on Jeffrey Epstein after declining to answer questions about NDAs.
- Chairman James Comer issued two subpoenas on the spot, compelling Black to produce NDAs and give a deposition on July 16.
- Black told the committee he paid Epstein roughly $158 million for what he described as legitimate tax and estate advice.
- The NDA in question relates to a lawsuit filed by Guzel Ganieva, which was later dismissed by a judge.
- Black has denied ever abusing a woman, trafficking, or paying Epstein for access to women; none of these allegations have been proven in court.
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World News Correspondent
Rachel Hayes reports on international affairs, geopolitics, and breaking world news. Based in London, she covers stories shaping the UK and global political landscape.
