NEWS
Explosive 2018 Email Links Okonjo-Iweala, Emir Sanusi II to Proposed ‘Out of the Box’ Dinner With Jeffrey Epstein as Millions of Secret Files Emerge
Freshly released court documents have ignited global controversy after an email correspondence revealed that two prominent Nigerians, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, were proposed as key guests for an “out of the box” dinner gathering with notorious American financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
The email, dated 21 May 2018, surfaced among approximately 3.5 million files recently made public in connection with Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The revelation has once again placed Epstein’s vast web of elite social connections under intense public scrutiny.
The newly released documents form part of a larger cache reportedly exceeding six million pages collected by the United States Department of Justice. However, only 3.5 million pages were made public, a disparity that has triggered questions about selective redactions and the criteria used in determining which records were released.
At the centre of the revelation is an email exchange between Epstein and Nigerian-American business executive and investor, Jide Zeitlin.
Mr Zeitlin is a highly influential corporate figure who previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tapestry, Inc., the New York Stock Exchange-listed parent company of luxury fashion brands including Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman.
In an email thread titled “Re:”, Epstein asked Mr Zeitlin to suggest “two or three people that think out of the box” whom he could invite for a “fun dinner” planned for June 2018.
In response, Mr Zeitlin proposed a list of globally recognised personalities, prominently featuring Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Mr Sanusi, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (2009–2014) and the Emir of Kano at the time.
By 2018, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala had left Nigeria’s federal cabinet and was deeply engaged in international development and governance roles, including serving as Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Mr Sanusi was reigning as Emir of Kano and was widely known for his outspoken views on economic reforms, governance, and social justice.
Beyond the two Nigerians, Mr Zeitlin’s list included Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and a polarising figure in global right-wing politics; Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; and Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the younger brother of the Emir of Qatar and former secretary to the Emir for Investment Affairs.
Also mentioned were Tony Marx, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Public Library and former President of Amherst College, and Niall Ferguson, a prominent British-American historian and author.
Mr Zeitlin described Mr Marx as an “independent thinker, brilliant, fun,” and characterised Mr Ferguson as a “broad and well-informed thinker.”
He explained that the suggested names reflected “different levels of originality,” while singling out Mr Sanusi as “probably the most out of the box name” on the list.
He further proposed that creatives could be added to the gathering, though he did not mention any specific individuals from that category.
Despite the striking nature of the correspondence, the documents do not indicate whether any invitations were formally issued or whether the proposed dinner ever took place.
Reacting to the revelation, Paul Nwabuikwu, media adviser to Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, firmly stated that the WTO Director-General never had any interaction with Epstein, either in connection with the proposed dinner or at any other time.
He said Mrs Okonjo-Iweala was completely unaware of any invitation and had no relationship whatsoever with Epstein.
“She was definitely not aware of it. She didn’t know him and had no contact with him. Epstein was a high-level influence peddler, and names were always floating around him,” Mr Nwabuikwu said.
Similarly, Bashir Jentile, spokesperson of the Emir of Kano, said he was not aware of any invitation extended to the Emir to attend Epstein’s dinner events.
The document trove further sheds light on how Epstein routinely organised high-profile gatherings that attracted influential figures from politics, business, academia, and royalty.
These social events reportedly featured a revolving circle of powerful personalities, including Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Steve Bannon, billionaire financier Howard Lutnick, and other well-known figures.
Some African leaders were also linked to Epstein-hosted events.
The BBC previously reported that one of the newly released document batches revealed that former South African President Jacob Zuma attended a dinner organised by Epstein in London in 2010. The same report suggested that a “beautiful” Russian model was present at the gathering.
Although attendance at such events does not automatically imply knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities, critics argue that his continued access to elite circles, even after earlier convictions, reflects disturbing gaps in accountability.
Epstein’s criminal record dates back to 2005, when police in Palm Beach, Florida, launched an investigation following a complaint that he had sexually abused a 14-year-old girl.
Subsequent investigations uncovered multiple allegations from underage girls who said Epstein sexually abused them at his mansion, often under the guise of providing massages. Federal authorities eventually identified 36 girls who were allegedly sexually abused by him.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 and received an 18-month jail sentence.
Over the years, numerous victims accused him of abusing them at his properties in Manhattan, Palm Beach, Florida, and on his private Caribbean island, Little St James, a 72-acre property located about two miles off the coast of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.
In 2015, Epstein’s longtime associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty of facilitating the abuse of underage girls. Prosecutors said she helped recruit victims, groomed them, and in some cases was present during the abuse.
In 2019, Epstein was arrested again and charged in the Southern District of New York with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.
Weeks later, he was found dead in his prison cell in what authorities ruled a suicide.
As more documents continue to emerge, the renewed attention on Epstein’s extensive network is expected to fuel further investigations and public debate about how a convicted sex offender maintained deep access to global corridors of power for decades.