Leon Black, the billionaire chairman, chief executive officer and co-founder of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, will be subpoenaed by the U.S. Virgin Islands’ attorney general for information about his decades-long business ties with Jeffrey Epstein, the New York Times reported Sunday.
The territory’s attorney general, Denise N. George, informed a local court on Thursday that she would issue civil subpoenas to Black and several entities connected to him, according to the paper, citing the chief clerk of the court. The subpoenas will seek financial statements and tax returns for a number of entities, including ones that manage some of Black’s $9 billion wealth. They will also go to Apollo and entities that help manage his art collection, the New York Times said.
It was not clear when the subpoenas would be served, and courts in the Virgin Islands are largely shut down during the pandemic, the New York Times said.
“Apollo never did any business with Mr. Epstein at any point in time,” according to a spokesperson for the New York-based private equity firm.
After Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest last year, Black also assured investors in Apollo’s funds that his relationship with Epstein didn’t extend to the private equity company. He said that Epstein provided certain services to his family partnership and entities relating to tax, estate planning and philanthropic advice. Epstein died in jail while facing sex-trafficking charges last August. His death was ruled a suicide.
“I was completely unaware of, and am deeply troubled by, the conduct that is now the subject of the federal criminal charges brought against Mr. Epstein,” Black said in a letter to Apollo’s limited parters then.
