[imagesource:twitter/nytimes]

Leon Black, former board chair of the Museum of Modern Art, agreed to pay $62,5 million (R1,125 billion) to the US Virgin Islands to be “released from potential claims related to a sex trafficking operation” linked to pervert financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The settlement comes after a three-year investigation into the dodgy happenings at Epstein’s estate on the Virgin Islands.

Making this whole ‘paying to avoid claims’ even more unbelievable is that Black agreed to pay the settlement in cash. Guess being a scumbag is easier if you have money.

In 2021, Black stepped down from his position as chairman and chief executive of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management that he co-founded in 1990. He also stepped down as chairman of New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2021.

According to the settlement documents, Black’s deal with the Virgin Islands does not cover claims by anyone else against Black, and the settlement can not be used as “evidence of wrongdoing by Black.”

According to the Virgin Islands, the money will be used to “fund mental health programs and to combat sex trafficking”.

An independent review, conducted by the firm Dechert LLP, found that Black had not been involved in criminal activities conducted by Epstein, but it was found that Black donated more to Epstein than had previously been estimated.  Black had reportedly given at least $50 million (R900 million) to Epstein, but the review said it was closer to $158 million (R2,8 billion), also a $10 million (R180 million) donation to Epstein’s charity.

With the stink surrounding Epstein, we tend to forget that he was a financier as well as a sex offender, so it stands to reason that his dodgy dealings extended beyond the 200 women who were allegedly sexually abused. Black’s settlement, therefore, does not mean he was involved with ‘Pervert Jeffrey’, but rather ‘Money Jeffrey’. Well, officially at least.

“There is no question that Epstein performed substantive work for Black and that Black genuinely believed that Epstein was extremely smart, capable, and saved him substantial amounts of money,”

Black is of course not just a hapless poepol who got conned by Epstein, as he was sued in 2002 by Cheri Pierson who alleged that Black “brutally” raped her in the Upper East Side home of (you guessed it) his financial advisor, Jeffrey Epstein.

As it goes with these kinds of people, the 2002 claim was followed by another rape allegation in 2018, as well as the alleged rape of an autistic teen which surfaced this week.

So, after being accused by multiple women of rape while in the company of his bestie Eipstein, and having been found to have paid excessive amounts of money to the same rapist buddy, Black will now be “released from potential claims related to a sex trafficking operation”.

Money seems to be able to solve most problems if you have a net worth of around $9 billion (R162 billion).

[source:robbreport&nypost]