Media Mogul Urged to Step Down Due to Health Concerns

US Billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman’s Financial Affairs Managed by Confidant After Meeting with Sex Offender

Files released by the US Department of Justice have revealed that late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein urged Canadian-American media and real estate mogul Mortimer Zuckerman to enter a guardianship or conservatorship for his financial affairs. The meeting took place in October 2015, during which Epstein expressed concerns about Zuckerman’s cognitive impairment.

According to the files, Epstein wrote an email to Zuckerman, stating that he had been informed of the mogul’s request for help several days earlier but that Zuckerman “might not remember”. Epstein warned Zuckerman that his cognitive impairment posed a serious risk to his financial, emotional, physical, and psychological well-being.

Epstein suggested that Zuckerman grant authority to trusted individuals, including Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen and Zuckerman’s nephews, to manage his affairs. He also advised Zuckerman to cancel an upcoming trip to San Francisco and instead choose a guardian to oversee his financial matters.

Zuckerman responded positively to Epstein’s advice, thanking him for his “thoughtfulness and friendship” and seeking recommendations for a lawyer with experience in guardianship matters. The mogul suggested that the two men meet after he returned from his trip but ultimately cancelled it at Epstein’s suggestion.

It is unclear whether Zuckerman followed Epstein’s advice to pass over control of his financial affairs. However, Zuckerman did step down as chairman of Boston Properties about six months after his correspondence with Epstein, citing no health concerns at the time.

Zuckerman’s relationship with Epstein has been previously reported, and the mogul had occasionally made headlines during the early 2000s due to his association with other prominent figures.

Source: Al Jazeera