Epstein’s influential friends, however, weren’t all household names. The documents also reveal details of Epstein’s unusually close relationships with scientists, academics, and philanthropists — and how he had a cozy arrangement with members of the media who got juicy tips from Epstein and did little critical work about him.

One reporter with whom Epstein connected frequently was Landon Thomas Jr., a financial journalist at the New York Times. Thomas exchanged dozens of emails with Epstein between 2015 and 2018, years after the financier’s conviction for soliciting a minor.