Do emails exchanged between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein and made public in January 2026 show that Musk rejected Epstein's invitation to his private island? No, that's not true: Emails show Musk and Epstein planned holiday visits at the end of 2012 and 2013, but their schedules eventually did not align. Both men seemed eager to meet up on Epstein's now-infamous Little St. James Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was Epstein, not Musk, who cancelled the second visit.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) shared by the @MarioNawfal X account on February 1, 2026. It included a screenshot of a fake email that Lead Stories had debunked, along with this text:
🇺🇸 ELON-EPSTEIN "ISLAND VACATION" EMAIL IS FAKE
A viral image claiming to show an email thread between Elon and Jeffrey Epstein about an "epic island vacation" is completely fabricated.
No email containing those phrases appears anywhere in the released Epstein files.
Searches for "epic island vacation" and "thanyou" (a typo in the fake email) return zero results in the official documents.
Elon's name does appear in the real files, but only in emails showing he rejected Epstein's invitation to his island.
Fabricating evidence to smear one of the most vocal people pushing for full release of the Epstein files is pretty telling.
Source: Lead Stories
This is what the image in the post looked like at the time of writing:
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of X.com)
The post referenced a Lead Stories fact check, which was published on January 31, 2026, headlined Fact Check: NO 'Epic Island Vacation' Email Thread With Elon Musk In Epstein Files Released In January 2026. Our debunk specifically targeted an image of a fake email in which Musk purportedly asked Epstein for details about a planned party with "girls" and that he had cleared his schedule for the "epic vacation."
But the post's claim went beyond the fact check to "Elon's name does appear in the real files, but only in emails showing he rejected Epstein's invitation to his island."
Lead Stories examined hundreds of email documents released by the Department of Justice in the Epstein case via https://www.justice.gov/epstein. There are hundreds of documents, including emails, that contain the name "Elon" (search results archived here).
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of justice.gov/epstein)
The earliest email discussion between Musk and Epstein about getting together on Epstein's infamous Little St. James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands is found in document EFTA02702478, in which Musk wrote on October 20, 2012 to Epstein:
Talulah and I are headed to St Barth's at the end of the year. I assume yo= will most likely be on your island?
Talulah is Talulah Riley, whom Musk had divorced seven months earlier, but remarried eight months later, only to divorce again in 2016. St. Barths is the French Caribbean island Saint Barthélemy, where Musk would spend the Christmas and New Years holidays in 2012 and 2013.
Epstein confirmed he would be on the island during the holidays and could send a helicopter to pick him up. Musk replied:
What's a good time to come over between Dec 23 and 30?
They settled on December 28, 29, or 30.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of justice.gov/epstein)
When Epstein emails Musk on November 24, 2012 (document EFTA02521947) asking "how many people will you be for the heli to island," Musk replies the next day:
Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?
Musk asks Epstein again a month later (document EFTA01912578) if he has any parties planned during his upcoming visit to his island, saying he really wants to "let loose."
Do you have any parties planned? I've been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose. The invitation is much appreciated, but a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I'm looking for.
Epstein replied:
Understood , I will see you on st Barth, the ratio on my island might make Talilah uncomfortable
Musk replied:
Ratio is not a problem for Talulah
It was unclear what "ratio" Epstein was concerned would make Musk's ex-wife uncomfortable.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of justice.gov/epstein)
The planning for that week continued in an email thread seen in document EFTA02706068. Epstein emailed Musk on December 28, 2012, asking "how do I find you?" on St. Barts. Musk invited Epstein to "join us (and some others) for drinks on the 30th around 10 o= 11," but Epstein replied that he would only be on the island on the 29th before returning to "my island in the evening." Musk replied that he would not be there on the 29th, but would be " Back afternoon of the 30th."
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of justice.gov/epstein)
The thread does not indicate if Musk and Epstein finally got together that week, but Epstein extended a lunch invitation on January 3, 2013 in an email in document EFTA01914010.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of justice.gov/epstein)
Planning for a Musk visit to Little St. James resumes a year later, as seen in document EFTA00980008. An email thread with the subject "Christmas and New Years" began on December 13, 2013, with Musk writing to Epstein "Will be in the BVI/St Bart's area over the holidays. Is there a good time to visit?" Epstein responded two days later "any day 1st - 8th . play it by ear if you want. always space for you." Musk then offered to arrive on January 1st, and Epstein suggested January 2nd or 3rd. Musk finally settled on a January 2nd arrival, but Epstein cancelled just three days before that date, writing:
Bad news- Unfortunately , my schedule will keep me in New York . I was really looking forward to finally spending some time together with just fun as the agenda. so i am very disappointed. Hopefully we can schedule another time in the near future.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of justice.gov/epstein)
While there is no evidence in the emails released so far by the Justice Department that Musk ever stepped foot on Epstein's private island, there is also no indication that he was reluctant to go there.
