Mortimer Zuckerman

Epstein and Zuckerman were equal partners committing up to 25 million dollars to finance Radar Magazine, a celebrity and pop culture magazine founded by Maer Roshan in 2004. This joint business venture establishes a deep financial relationship predating Epstein's 2008 conviction.

Radar Magazine launch party (May 2005, EFTA01334070) confirms Epstein and Zuckerman were 50-50 partners in Radar Media. The two billionaires are 50-50 partners in the venture. Radar was preceded by a failed attempt to buy New York Magazine, in which the consortium included Zuckerman, Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, Nelson Peltz, and Michael Wolff -- but they lost out to Bruce Wasserstein at the eleventh hour. Maer Roshan was being talked about as editor in chief for that deal. The Radar venture required an estimated minimum of 20 million dollars to launch, with several times that over 5-6 years. US News president William Holiber crossed over to serve as Radar president. The partnership dissolved Radar Media LLP and created a new company to relaunch in April 2005.

In January-February 2014, Epstein claimed he had found and corrected errors that would have cost Zuckerman over 100 million dollars. He proposed a fee of 21 million dollars (agreed with a handshake, with Rod-Larsen present), which he described as roughly half his standard fee. Epstein hired people and had meetings reviewing Zuckerman documents. He catalogued Zuckerman financial vulnerabilities: dangerous cash flow, 60 million in unfunded capital commitments, billions of fictional preferred on balance sheet, ambiguous settlement with ex-wife Marla, problematic trust statements. Zuckerman rejected Epstein structure three times but kept re-engaging. Epstein noted Leon Black had also referred Zuckerman to him.

Epstein sent a one-word email to Zuckerman on April 3, 2014: marriage? -- continuing to push the marriage-as-tax-strategy advice he had detailed in earlier correspondence. The persistence of this advice across multiple months (January-April 2014) shows Epstein was actively trying to restructure Zuckerman personal and financial life.

In July 2014, Epstein memorialized a breakfast conversation in which Zuckerman acknowledged he was no longer capable of managing his financial affairs. Zuckerman suggested Terje Rod-Larsen be put in charge. Epstein demanded 40 million dollars upfront, proposed selling all houses/planes/Daily News/US News, and leaving 100 million each to children Rene and Abigail in trust. Epstein suggested getting a judge to validate the arrangement because Zuckerman might tend to forget in the future -- a clear reference to cognitive decline. This is the classic Epstein billionaire control pattern: exploit vulnerability to gain financial control.

Epstein forwarded his memorialization of the Zuckerman financial takeover plan directly to Terje Rod-Larsen on July 27, 2014. Zuckerman initially pushed back, saying Epstein was misinterpreting his comments and that his net worth had continued to grow dramatically so he needed to rethink dispositions. But he then told Epstein I am definitely going to proceed with it. Rod-Larsen was also directly communicating with Zuckerman, with Zuckerman telling Rod-Larsen We are missing each other, can you suggest time. This confirms a three-way operational structure: Epstein as architect, Rod-Larsen as proposed financial overseer, Zuckerman as the controlled subject.

In October 2015, Epstein explicitly told Zuckerman he had spent considerable time talking to experts in how to best assist high net worth individuals with Alzheimers, and told him directly: yes you are in a separate class. Your worth is both a benefit and a risk. Epstein prescribed: 1) hire full-time round-the-clock Alzheimer's professionals, 2) find someone to marry even a marriage of convenience for financial protection, 3) establish a board of trusted friends including Terje, Harry, Irwin, Joel, and nephews, 4) liquidate most assets -- sell Boston Properties stock, art, plane, helicopter, 5) send daughter Renee to her guardians as she is too young to deal with your issue. This is the clearest documented instance of Epstein attempting to establish control over a cognitively declining billionaire.

Epstein advised Zuckerman to resign immediately from BXP (Boston Properties), sell his boat, helicopter, and art. He told Zuckerman to pay Marla (ex-wife) 15 million to settle rather than 3 million. He suggested marriage as a tax strategy: if you were to get married many of the more tricky issues would be solved -- no estate tax, basis step up, guardianship for Rene, 100s of millions saved. This pattern mirrors how Epstein controlled other billionaires through comprehensive financial management that made them dependent on his expertise.

GRM Filing Index identifies 'MBZ' in 'FTC/Wexner Children's Trust/MBZ — Purchase of Boston Properties from Prudential' as Mortimer B. Zuckerman, co-founder/chairman of Boston Properties. Three-party co-investment: Epstein's FTC, Wexner Children's Trust, and Zuckerman jointly acquired Boston Properties interests from Prudential. Confirms FTC functioned as Wexner family office and Zuckerman was a co-investor with Wexner/Epstein in real estate. Zuckerman's email signature in corpus consistently shows 'Mortimer B. Zuckerman / Boston Properties Inc.' (MBZ initials match).

Zuckerman maintained contact with Epstein immediately after his 2008 release. In October 2009, Epstein sent Zuckerman his home phone number (subject: phone, text: jeffrey's home number). Zuckerman assistant Clare Probert responded from Boston Properties/Daily News/US News. The relationship continued unbroken through conviction, with regular social meetings documented through 2019. Timeline of documented post-conviction contact: Oct 2009 (phone exchange), Apr 2010 (71st St showing), Nov 2013 (scheduling via Rod-Larsen), Dec 2013 (Aspen), Jan-Feb 2014 (financial restructuring), Apr 2014 (marriage advice), Jul 2014 (committee memorialization), Sep-Oct 2014 (financial structure), Jan 2015 (defense strategy), Jun-Nov 2015 (Daily News sale), Oct 2015 (Alzheimer's email), Jan 2016-Feb 2017 (calendar alerts).

A 2010 real estate showing request reveals Zuckerman was shown 9 E 71st Street (Epstein mansion). Jed Garfield of Leslie J. Garfield & Co. asked Story Cowles to schedule showing 71st Street to Mort Zuckerman on Thursday at 4pm. Cowles forwarded this to Epstein. This means Zuckerman was considering purchasing or viewing the Epstein mansion, which was a key property in Epstein operations.

Zuckerman attended a dinner on April 4, 2013 at 71st Street with Peter Mandelson and Jes Staley. The guest list also invited Eric Schmidt and Walter Isaacson. Earlier that day, Epstein had meetings with Tom McGraw, Justin Nelson, and Erika Kellerhals. This places Zuckerman in Epstein social orbit alongside senior financial (Staley/JPMorgan CEO) and political (Mandelson/UK Labour) figures post-conviction.

In January 2015, Epstein sent Zuckerman a detailed defense strategy email titled thoughts? requesting feedback on whether to involve a former girlfriend as a witness. The email details specific defense points: 1) staff and friends always present, 2) Does 1 and 2 were local strippers who called repeatedly, 3) the girlfriend was 22-24 at the time, 4) she has photos, 5) she knows Clinton was never on the island, 6) no sex with Hawking or Barak as they were never on the island, 7) girls asked to bring friends who sat in the kitchen, 8) multiple massage people aged up to 60. Epstein asked Zuckerman to review this defense narrative, demonstrating extraordinary trust and using Zuckerman as a legal strategy sounding board post-conviction.

Epstein brokered the potential sale of the Daily News to Andrew Farkas in June 2015. He emailed both Zuckerman and Eric Gertler introducing Farkas. Gertler directed Farkas to Lazard bankers Jeffrey Rosen and Louis Zachary. This places Epstein as an active deal intermediary in Zuckerman media transactions post-conviction, demonstrating continued influence over Zuckerman business decisions.

Zuckerman responded to Epstein's October 5, 2015 Alzheimer's guardianship email the very next morning (October 6, 2015) with: Let's meet. Am leaving for San Francisco today to visit Abigail at Stanford and to celebrate a major building we are underway with in San Francisco. Will call when I return in less than a week. Best. mort. Critically, Zuckerman did NOT reject the characterization of his cognitive decline, did NOT object to the guardianship/conservatorship proposal, and did NOT terminate the relationship. He simply agreed to meet. Epstein's email referenced: a prior meeting with Terje on Saturday at 430pm that Zuckerman might not remember, that Zuckerman asked Epstein for help (which he might not remember), that cognitive impairment has reached a serious and potentially dangerous level, urged voluntary guardianship/conservatorship, named Terje and nephews as proposed authorities, referenced a pact made at Sloan Kettering when Abigail was ill, and claimed attorney-client privilege at the bottom.

Three months after the Alzheimer's guardianship email (October 2015), Zuckerman continued warm contact with Epstein. On January 6, 2016, Epstein sent a casual check-in: how is it going? Zuckerman responded three times from different devices within hours: (1) Good. Lets have a meal. Best Mort, (2) Lets talk drink and eat. It has been too long. Happy New Year. Mort Z, (3) Lets catch up. Happy New Year. Mort. He was emailing from [email protected]. The tone shows no distress, no resentment about the guardianship suggestion, and no distancing. Zuckerman was still actively seeking Epstein's company after being told his cognitive impairment had reached a serious and potentially dangerous level. This either confirms Zuckerman's cognitive decline (he may not have fully retained the earlier conversation) or demonstrates the depth of the dependency relationship.

Epstein grouped Zuckerman with Holterbosch and Wexner in recurring Google Calendar alerts from 2017, suggesting these three relationships required coordinated management. Multiple instances show alerts titled zuckerman hoterbosschwexner or zuckerman hoterbosch wexner. Heidi Holterbosch also appears in Epstein scheduling alongside visits with Zuckerman and social events with known Epstein associates. The grouping pattern suggests Epstein managed these billionaire relationships as a portfolio.

Zuckerman was on Epstein contact lists alongside his most important associates. In a Sept 2015 self-email, Epstein listed: weingarten, ruemmler, zuckerman, holterbosch, kamen kerry jaret, GLENN CALL, scarola, sanctions, paul mccartney leon, grubman motola peggy. In his list for bannon steve, Epstein included Zuckerman alongside: chomsky, barak, zagat, nathan, brian greene, prince andrews, jagland, clinton, richardson, leahy, dersh, ken starrk. Zuckerman appears in both the legal/political inner circle and the broader VIP list, confirming dual-track relationship (personal friendship plus financial management).

The Epstein-Zuckerman Radar Magazine consortium reveals a broader media power network. The group that tried to buy New York Magazine before launching Radar included: Zuckerman (Daily News/US News owner), Epstein (financier), Harvey Weinstein (Miramax), Nelson Peltz (Trian Partners, billionaire activist investor), and Michael Wolff (media critic, later Epstein correspondent with 303+ emails). This consortium links two later-convicted sex offenders (Epstein and Weinstein) with a billionaire media mogul, a corporate raider, and a media insider who became Epstein's most prolific correspondent. Wolff later wrote a manuscript about Rybolovlev-Trump with Epstein edits. The 2004 New York Magazine bid lost to Bruce Wasserstein, redirecting the group to Radar.

Epstein's October 2015 Alzheimer's email to Zuckerman asserted attorney-client privilege at the bottom: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may constitute inside information, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. It is the property of JEE. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This is significant because: 1) Epstein was not a licensed attorney, making a privilege claim legally dubious, 2) The JEE copyright assertion treats the guardianship proposal as proprietary information, 3) This mirrors the pattern of Epstein using legal language to control and intimidate, 4) If accepted by Zuckerman, it would have legally shielded the guardianship arrangement from outside scrutiny.

BILLIONAIRE CONTROL PATTERN ANALYSIS: The Epstein-Zuckerman relationship exhibits all five stages of the Epstein dependency cycle: 1) IDENTIFY VULNERABILITY -- Zuckerman was experiencing cognitive decline (explicitly diagnosed as Alzheimer's by October 2015), 2) OFFER HELP -- Epstein offered comprehensive financial restructuring, found errors worth 100M+ dollars, proposed tax strategies, 3) EMBED DEEPER -- gained access to Zuckerman entire financial picture: trust statements, tax returns, BXP stock positions, litigation exposure, estate plans, 4) ACCUMULATE LEVERAGE -- Epstein knew about cognitive decline, financial vulnerabilities, family dynamics (daughter Renee requiring guardianship, ex-wife Marla settlement), 5) CREATE DEPENDENCY -- proposed himself and Rod-Larsen as financial overseers, demanded 21-40M dollar fees, suggested getting judicial sign-off to prevent Zuckerman from changing his mind. Unlike Wexner (who surrendered control) or Black (who paid 158M+), Zuckerman repeatedly resisted -- rejecting the structure three times -- but kept re-engaging. The relationship timeline spans 2004-2019, across both pre and post-conviction periods.