The $158 Million Question: What Was Leon Black Paying Jeffrey Epstein For?
- Posted on September 10, 2026
- By Vanity Fair
- 1 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
William Cohan's controversial biography explores Wall Street magnate Leon Black's financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein, including a $158 million transfer that remains unexplained. The book reignites debate among New York Times journalists and Black himself about the true nature of their relationship. Cohan acknowledges the mystery may never be fully resolved, raising questions about accountability and transparency in elite financial circles.
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The $158 Million Question: What Was Leon Black Paying Jeffrey Epstein For?
William Cohan’s new biography of the Wall Street billionaire, Money to Burn, traces Black’s rise and fall—and sparked a dispute with the New York Times journalists who have reported on the $158 million that Black gave to Epstein. At a 92nd Street Y discussion conducted by the Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin, Cohan said he doesn’t expect to ever know the truth about the relationship between the two men.
