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Epstein files hint at Mugabe's possible financial ties
Newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents reveal email exchanges and unverified claims linking Zimbabwe's late former president Robert Mugabe to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted American sex offender.
2015 email proposes Zimbabwe currency plan
In a 2015 exchange with Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito, Epstein suggested approaching then-President Mugabe to introduce a new currency for Zimbabwe following the collapse of the local dollar due to hyperinflation. Epstein wrote that while he was not personally acquainted with Mugabe, he could "easily get his attention," describing Zimbabwe as a "great petri dish" and praising its natural beauty.
Ito, who later resigned as director of MIT's Media Lab in 2019 over donations tied to Epstein, asked if Epstein had connections to Mugabe. The subject line of the email read "fertile land for exploration."
Unverified FBI claims name Mugabe as Epstein client
Among the documents released by the DOJ is a 2017 FBI file containing testimony from an unnamed "human confidential source." The source alleged Epstein served as a wealth manager for both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Robert Mugabe. The FBI has not confirmed the accuracy of these claims, and the BBC has sought further clarification from the agency.
Legal experts note that Epstein would have violated U.S. sanctions if he had managed Mugabe's finances, as the former Zimbabwean leader was under U.S. restrictions from 2003, barring American citizens and companies from conducting financial transactions with him.
Other mentions of Mugabe in Epstein correspondence
The files also include an April 2012 email from an individual identified only as "jonathan," who incorrectly claimed Mugabe was on his deathbed in Italy. The sender sought Epstein's contacts in Zimbabwe, writing, "they have some great companies if this guy is really done whi=h he is."
Mugabe, then 88, appeared in good health days later while leading Zimbabwe's independence celebrations after returning from Singapore. A former Mugabe ally, speaking anonymously to the BBC, dismissed the email as fabricated.
Mugabe's legacy and Zimbabwe's economic struggles
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's independence leader and long-serving president, died in September 2019 at the age of 95, two years after being removed from power in a military coup. His Zanu-PF party remains in control of the country, which has faced decades of economic turmoil.
After abandoning the Zimbabwean dollar in 2009 due to hyperinflation, the government introduced a gold-backed currency called the Zig in 2024. While the Zig has stabilized the economy after an unstable start, many Zimbabweans continue to rely on the U.S. dollar for daily transactions.
No evidence of wrongdoing
Being named in the Epstein files does not imply any misconduct. The Mugabe family has been contacted by the BBC for comment but has not yet responded.
Epstein, a once-prominent U.S. financier, was found dead in his prison cell in August 2019, an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He had previously been convicted in 2008 for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl in Florida.
