What is known about the custody and authenticity of the audio Michael Wolff released claiming to feature Jeffrey Epstein?

1. What Wolff says he has and where the recordings are claimed to be held

Wolff has consistently told audiences he conducted multiple sessions with Epstein — variously described as “around 100 hours” or “up to 100 hours” of audio from more than 30 sessions — and has said those recordings are in his possession and that he has played excerpts on his podcast ^{[2] [5] [6]}. He has also told reporters he shared some of the tapes with The Daily Beast and played excerpts publicly on Fire and Fury, which establishes that at least portions of the material moved from Wolff’s private archive into media channels ^{[3] [6]}.

2. How media outlets and Wolff himself presented the clip

The Independent and other outlets reported Wolff released an audio clip purporting to capture Epstein discussing Trump and the White House and framed the excerpt as a small sample of a much larger trove Wolff says he controls ^[1]. Wolff positioned the clips as evidentiary and newsworthy; he has repeatedly indicated the material offers “extraordinary insights” and has made the recordings central to his public allegations about Epstein’s ties to powerful people ^[3].

3. Authentication: what reporting shows was done — and what was not

Available reporting documents that Wolff produced and played excerpts and that he shared tapes with media ^{[3] [6]}, but none of the provided sources report a disclosed forensic voice analysis, chain-of-custody documentation, metadata review, or third‑party authentication of the released clip. That absence means public reporting in these sources does not confirm independent expert verification of the clip’s provenance or that the voice is definitively Epstein’s ^{[1] [3]}. If forensic authentication has occurred, it is not described in the materials supplied here.

4. Credibility, conflicts and the surrounding paper trail

Wolff’s relationship with Epstein and his handling of material are part of the public story: released emails show Wolff corresponding with Epstein and advising on media strategy, which critics say blurs reporter–source lines and raises ethical questions about motivations and method ^{[7] [8]}. Wolff’s history of contentious reporting about Trump — including works that prompted high-profile pushback from the Trump camp — factors into how outlets and opponents evaluate his claims ^{[2] [1]}.

5. Reactions, denials and legal posturing

The Trump campaign and spokespeople quickly denounced the clip and attacked Wolff’s credibility, with campaign representatives calling him a “disgraced writer” who fabricates claims ^[1]. Separately, the wider set of Epstein-related documents and emails that have been released publicly include correspondence between Wolff and Epstein, which has fueled skepticism and political counterclaims ^{[9] [7]}. Wolff has faced legal disputes tied to his Epstein comments, and the Trumps have threatened or pursued litigation over related assertions, underscoring the contentious, litigated context in which the audio was released ^[10].

6. Bottom line — what is known and what remains unresolved

It is factually established in reporting that Wolff claims to possess a large archive of Epstein interviews, that he released at least one excerpt on his podcast, and that he shared material with media outlets ^{[2] [3] [6]}. What remains unresolved in the materials provided is independent proof of the clip’s authenticity and an audited chain of custody: the supplied sources do not report results of forensic voice analysis, metadata examinations, or an independent repository confirming the recordings’ origin ^{[1] [3]}. Readers should treat Wolff’s claims as public assertions supported by his own presentation of tapes, but not as forensically validated evidence based on the reporting shown here.