Dharamsala: The office of the Dalai Lama Sunday firmly denied media reports suggesting any association between the Tibetan spiritual leader and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The clarification comes after several media outlets, citing documents from the United States Department of Justice (DoJ), reported that the Dalai Lama’s name appeared 169 times in the widely discussed Epstein files.
According to some reports, the Buddhist leader’s name allegedly appeared in multiple personal emails and in the index of a book titled ‘Massage for Dummies’, which was included as a scanned document in files released earlier as part of the Epstein case records.
Following the circulation of these claims, the Dalai Lama’s office issued a statement categorically rejecting any alleged link.
“Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the ‘Epstein files’ are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein,” the statement read.
“We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf,” it added.
Some reports have referred to emails dated October 2012 that allegedly contained references suggesting a meeting between the Tibetan spiritual leader and Epstein, and also indicated that the Dalai Lama was expected to attend an event alongside him.
Additionally, European media outlet ‘Nexta TV’ claimed that individuals described as followers of the Dalai Lama might have met Epstein, further fuelling speculation about possible indirect links.
The issue also gained attention last year after journalist Michael Wolff made claims during an appearance on the ‘Daily Beast’ podcast.
Wolff spoke about gatherings, described as “salons”, that were reportedly hosted at Epstein’s Manhattan residence and attended by several prominent personalities.
While naming attendees, Wolff included the Dalai Lama and speculated that the spiritual leader’s presence, if any, may have been connected to fundraising or philanthropic outreach, as several individuals were known to approach Epstein for financial contributions.
Independent journalist Jacob Silverman later referred to Wolff’s claims in an article titled “Why Was The Dalai Lama At Jeffrey Epstein’s House?”
In his report, Silverman mentioned that the Dalai Lama’s office did not respond to queries at the time regarding whether the organisation had received any donations from Epstein or had any form of association with him.
The controversy has resurfaced after the US DoJ recently released a massive collection of records linked to Epstein.
The release reportedly includes more than three million files, over 2,000 videos and approximately 1,80,000 photographs connected to the disgraced financier’s activities.
According to reports, the newly released documents contain references to several influential personalities from across sectors, including political leaders, business figures, and globally recognised individuals.
Names mentioned in various reports include current and former US Presidents such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, as well as business leaders including Bill Gates and Elon Musk, among others.