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Akbar Novruz

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Newly released documents linked to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein have reignited scrutiny over the late financier’s global connections, including unverified claims involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azernews reports via People Magazine.

According to recently unsealed materials from the U.S. Department of Justice, testimony from an FBI confidential human source (CHS), dated November 27, 2017, alleges that Epstein acted as a wealth manager for several powerful political figures. The testimony was recorded about a year and a half before Epstein’s arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Epstein later died by suicide while awaiting trial.

The FBI source’s statements do not relate to Epstein’s sexual abuse crimes but focus instead on his financial activities. In the testimony, the source claimed that Epstein “made his money from charging his clients fees to hide their money offshore,” describing him as a financial intermediary for influential individuals seeking to move or conceal assets.

Among the most striking allegations, the source asserted that Epstein served as a wealth manager for President Vladimir Putin, as well as for former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. These claims have not been independently verified. PEOPLE magazine reported that it contacted the Kremlin for comment, but no response has been made public.

Epstein’s finances have long raised questions. Court filings in his sex trafficking case estimated his net worth at approximately $560 million at the time of his death. His assets reportedly included high-value properties in Manhattan, Palm Beach, New Mexico, and Paris, as well as the private Caribbean islands of Little St. James and Great St. James.

Putin’s personal wealth, meanwhile, remains a closely guarded subject. Official disclosures portray a modest lifestyle, limited to a state salary, an apartment in St. Petersburg, a plot of land near Moscow, and a small collection of vehicles. However, allegations of hidden wealth have circulated for years.

In July 2017, financier Bill Browder testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, claiming that Putin had amassed vast wealth through corruption and that significant assets were held in Western jurisdictions. Browder suggested that the scale of alleged corruption far exceeded common assumptions, though these assertions have also been denied by Moscow.

The newly released Epstein-related documents add another layer to ongoing debates about illicit financial networks and the role of intermediaries in managing the assets of powerful figures. U.S. authorities have not publicly confirmed the FBI source’s claims, and no charges or formal findings have been announced in connection with the alleged financial ties.