Dalai Lama’s Office Denies Any Link to Jeffrey Epstein Files

After Chinese media claimed that the Tibetan Buddhist leader’s name appeared in a batch of papers made public by the US government, the Dalai Lama’s administration declared on Sunday that he had never met convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

More than three million documents, images, and videos pertaining to the US Justice Department’s investigation into the embattled financier were released last month as part of the most recent batch of the Epstein archives.

The Dalai Lama’s name appeared more than 150 times in the files, according to an AFP search, although there was no indication that he had ever met or interacted with Epstein.

A person’s name being included in the Epstein files does not necessarily indicate that they have committed any wrongdoing.

In a statement published on X, the leader’s office said that some recent media stories and social media posts about the “Epstein files” were trying to connect Jeffrey Epstein and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

“We can categorically affirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or permitted any individual to meet or communicate with him on His Holiness’s behalf,” the statement continued.

“Dalai Lama” was mentioned at least 169 times in the Epstein files, according to a report released by state-run broadcaster CGTN on Thursday. The article also mentioned an email in which an unidentified sender informed Epstein that he was thinking of attending an event that the Dalai Lama was scheduled to attend.

When Chinese troops put down an uprising in 1959, the 90-year-old Nobel Peace Prize recipient fled the Tibetan capital of Lhasa at the age of 23.

Now living in exile in the town of Dharamsala in northern India, he spearheads a movement for Tibetans to have more autonomy, which China has denounced as separatist and rebellious.

154 matches mentioning the Dalai Lama were found when AFP searched the Epstein papers, which were made public by the US DOJ.

No reference to or allegation of a meeting between Epstein and the Dalai Lama was found by AFP.

A person whose name has been redacted wrote Epstein the email that CGTN and AFP cited, saying, “About the event I told u almost a month ago on island that dalai lama is coming and I want to go there to see him.” However, if you need my assistance today, I can skip this event.

In a subsequent email, the sender writes: “…go in now to the event w[ith] dalai lama.”

Although the Dalai Lama has made many public visits around the world over the years, there is no indication in the emails that the individual really met or saw him.

In 2008, Epstein was found guilty of luring a youngster into prostitution.

In 2019, while incarcerated on sex trafficking accusations, he committed suicide.

The most recent US release of the financier’s records has implicated a number of well-known public people; some have quit their positions, faced public interrogation, and been the subject of official investigations.