What the latest Epstein files release says about crisis PR

Another round of Epstein files—approximately three million documents—was released January 30, and this batch included a lot of prominent names. That list included philanthropist and business magnate Bill Gates, entrepreneur Elon Musk, and author, doctor and longevity influencer Peter Attia. They were all allegedly connected to Epstein in different ways, and as a result, their mentions in the documents are varied. But it’s their responses that offer lessons to others in the business world about how to respond when faced with a crisis.

Dealing with one of this magnitude is no easy feat, and it requires absolute trust between a client and a crisis manager, Beverly Hills celebrity PR and crisis expert Eric Schiffer tells Fast Company. 

Addressing allegations

It’s true that when it comes to forward-facing events, being included in something like the Epstein files is the type of calamity a lot of leaders in the business world aren’t likely to be faced with. But bosses can learn from high-profile, high-stakes examples as some of the nation’s most powerful men grapple with allegations like these.

Gates is dealing with the fallout from an email Epstein sent to himself. In it, Epstein alleges that Gates hid a sexually transmitted disease he allegedly contracted after engaging in presumed sexual activities with “Russian girls” affiliated with Epstein from his then-wife, initially released a statement via spokesperson. The allegations were decried as “absolutely absurd and completely false.” The Microsoft founder was forced to directly address the allegations this week, telling Australian television channel 9News the claim is “false” and speculated that Epstein may had been attempting to blackmail him. “Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent,” Gates added. “The email is false.”

Musk appears to have emailed Epstein trying to coordinate plans to visit Epstein’s private island. In one email apparently exchanged between the pair in 2012, Musk indicated he planned to bring then-wife Talulah Riley and asked, “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” The tech founder turned to X to vehemently deny he participated in any untoward behavior alongside or by way of Epstein: “I have never been to any Epstein parties ever and have many times call[ed] for the prosecution of those who have committed crimes with Epstein,” he wrote on January 31. “The acid test for justice is not the release of the files, but rather the prosecution of those who committed heinous crimes with Epstein.”

And Attia, a wellness influencer who has courted controversy over the years, appeared to exchange a series of emails with Epstein in which the pair made disparaging comments about female genitalia. A separate set of emails made it seem Attia and Epstein were together while the former’s wife was in the hospital with their son. Attia denied he “was not involved in any criminal activity” in a lengthy statement also shared to X.

All three men have, at various points, been considered leaders within their business communities and among the great minds of our collective experience. Though Musk has already experienced a steep tumble from years past when he was revered by many, Gates and Attia are wading into some of the murkiest waters in their professional lives.

Staying truthful

Crisis PR expert Schiffer says navigating this requires absolute trust between a client and a crisis manager.

“As a crisis manager, you’ve got to ensure you get the absolute truth” from your client, he says. “And then, once you have the truth, then the goal is to begin to repair whatever challenge that the facts may reveal without doing any further damage.”

Unfortunately, that’s the stage when a lot of clients still mess things up. 

“What occurs in these situations is clients that are attempting to manage their crisis can end up creating even bigger problems, because they may not reveal the entire truth, or they may obfuscate the facts,” Schiffer adds. “And they create all these secondary challenges.”

At the core of the issue is a strong need to quickly rebuild trust with the public. In order to do that, a crisis manager has to know with complete certainty they can trust their own client—and if they find out someone is lying, the cord has to be cut immediately.

“This is a place for absolute honesty, and I need to know what you’re dealing with,” he says.” And then if I find out that in any way that you were not 100% truthful, I’m out.”

Presuming a client is being completely truthful, though, the next steps depend on the underlying facts: Part of what Gates, Musk, and Attia are dealing with is that it’s difficult to get all of the details out. 

“What’s kept this Epstein matter alive is that there’s more to reveal,” Schiffer says, “It’s not over yet. So all of it hasn’t gotten out, and it’s extending the story. This is a story that should have been over a long time ago, had they just released all the records.”

He continues: “You’ve got a lot of powerful people who are in the mix, and so you want to understand where you are in the cycle. And the cycle right now is still . . . I’d say we’re probably two-thirds through the cycle. It’s not complete, that’s for sure.”

Crisis PR is a two-way street, Schiffer later explained. It’s vital that there’s an ethical alignment between client and manager. “Some [managers] will take the perspective, well, they’re the same as a defense attorney, and a defense attorney would take on a case of charges against someone who might be seen as a pedophile or allegations against that,” he said. “But it’s not something that interests me.”

Once honesty and alignment are in place, manager and client should work together to identify the best outcome, and then make that happen. Secondary implications, such as other details that could surface or anticipated legal parameters, will also need to be considered. 

And then? “You build a strategy from that,” Schiffer concluded.