What names appeared on the Epstein list?
Executive summary
The term "Epstein list" most often refers to Jeffrey Epstein's address books—several handwritten "little black books" and related contact books that together contain well over a thousand names and contact entries (the commonly cited totals are about 1,700+ names across two books) [1] [2]. The presence of a person’s name in those books or in later DOJ document releases has been widely reported, but journalists and courts emphasize that inclusion is not proof of wrongdoing and that the books also list household staff, service providers and aspirational contacts [3] [4] [2].
1. What the “list” actually is and how many names it contains
The primary object called Epstein’s "little black book" emerged from a 2005 seizure and later public postings and contains dozens to hundreds of pages of names, while reporters and archives identify at least two separate address books with roughly 1,731 combined names and hundreds more in ancillary files and flight logs that investigators compiled [2] [1]. Business Insider published an additional, earlier address book dated 1997 with 349 names (375 entries) that overlaps only partially with the better-known 2004 book, and auctioned or leaked copies later surfaced containing scores of names not previously public [5] [1] [6].
2. Which high‑profile names appear in the books (examples, not a definitive list)
High‑profile figures whose names have been reported as appearing in Epstein’s address books or the broader "Epstein files" include former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince Andrew, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, media figures such as Rupert Murdoch and Steve Forbes, and celebrities like Naomi Campbell — all cited in reporting on the books and document releases [7] [1] [3]. Other widely noted entries across various lists and releases include politicians and statesmen such as Henry Kissinger and John Kerry, business figures like David Koch and Carl Icahn, entertainers reported in DOJ or media releases such as Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson in image or contact lists, and social figures like Chelsea Clinton [7] [8] [1] [6].
3. What being listed does — and doesn’t — mean
Investigative reporters and court filings have repeatedly cautioned that the books are essentially address books: they include service providers, household staff and people Epstein or associates met socially, and do not by themselves demonstrate participation in, knowledge of, or facilitation of crimes [3] [4] [2]. Journalists such as Julie K. Brown and outlets publishing the books’ contents have stressed that the so‑called "list" can be a "red herring" if read as a client roster rather than a compendium of contacts [2] [3].
4. How the lists entered the public record and why they matter to investigators
Epstein’s address books first surfaced in court and media reporting after a former house employee removed and tried to sell them; some pages were published by outlets like Gawker in 2015 and later appeared among documents disclosed or leaked in subsequent legal actions and DOJ releases, and jurors in related trials were permitted to see similar contact directories as evidence because they could help corroborate who Epstein or his associates knew and when [2] [3] [4]. Investigators have used the books alongside flight logs, witness testimony and other documentary evidence to map networks and movements, not as standalone proof of alleged trafficking or abuse [2] [1].
5. Limits of available reporting and recommended caution
Public compilations and searchable websites list thousands of entries attributed to Epstein’s books, and major outlets have published selected names and counts, but no single authoritative public roster has been endorsed as definitive by prosecutors; where sources differ, reporting distinguishes between presence in an address book, inclusion in DOJ "Epstein files," and appearance on flight manifests or in courtroom evidence, and readers should treat name lists as leads to be corroborated rather than verdicts of guilt [1] [2] [8].