The Billionaire Who Stood by Jeffrey Epstein

The Billionaire Who Stood by Jeffrey Epstein

Leon Black, whose $9 billion fortune could buy the best counsel in the world, paid at least $50 million to Mr. Epstein for advice and services after most others had deserted him.Leon Black, chairman and chief executive of Apollo Global Management, was a lucrative client for Jeffrey Epstein.Credit...Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergBy Matthew Goldstein, Steve Eder and David EnrichThe billionaire financier Leon Black, one of Wall Street's most powerful executives, was facing questions from clients after Jeffrey Epstein was arrested last year on federal sex trafficking charges. The two men had known each other for decades, and investors of Mr. Black's investment company, Apollo Global Management, wanted to know how close they had been.Such questions were valid, Mr. Black said, according to a transcript of a call with analysts in July 2019.