Sixers managing partner and founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) Josh Harris appeared various times in Friday’s release of Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Specifically, multiple correspondences between Harris and Jeffrey Epstein through email and a phone call during a time period between 2013 and 2016, as detailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution with a minor. In 2019, he was arrested on charges for child
sex trafficking.
Harris, also majority owner of the Washington Commanders and co-founder of Apollo Global Management, issued a statement via spokesperson to WJLA-TV (ABC 7 / DC Area).
“Josh Harris never had an independent relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Harris sought to prevent Epstein’s attempts to develop a corporate relationship with Apollo. As these emails indicate, Harris sought to avoid meeting with Epstein, canceling meetings and having others return his calls.”
As detailed by Ryan W. Briggs and Max Marin of the Inquirer, the newly uncovered correspondences “do not contain any indication that Harris was involved with sexual misconduct.”
They do, however, show multiple emails between Harris and Epstein discussing documents, payments and an invitation to Epstein’s estate in New York in 2014.
The invitation, first reported by the University of Pennsylvania’s student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian following the Sept. 26 document release, was for a breakfast party with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Wharton School’s board of advisors chair Marc Rowan.
Friday’s released documents show that Epstein additionally invited tech-investor Reid Hoffman and Baron Capital founder Ron Baron to the same breakfast.
“‘Jeffrey Epstein would like to invite Josh to breakfast on Dec. 5th at Jeffrey’s home in NY… Bill Gates will be in attendance. The breakfast will be intimate…less than 6 people,’ one email invitation read.
The pair also discussed the meeting directly.
‘Sorry i missed you. Crazy week,’ Harris wrote to Epstein in November 2014. ‘U around any time from now to sunday? Whats this Bill Gates thing about? Tks for thinking about me.’
‘I thought you might like to schmooze,’ wrote Epstein in response, asking Harris to call him. ‘nothing but fun friday 5th breakfast.’”
Philadelphia Inquirer | Briggs/Marin/Mizell.
Prior to Friday, it was unclear if the meeting ever took place. The newly released emails show Epstein asked Harris if he “had fun at breakfast” about a week after the intended meeting date.
Multiple correspondences between the two mentioned Leon Black. Black was a co-founder of Apollo Global Management and served as the CEO and chairman from 1990-2021. He was removed from his role in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations, and a report that he paid Epstein $158 million for “financial advise”.
Harris is not the only sports franchise owner to show up in Friday’s files. New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch received reports on multiple women from Epstein, according to The Athletic.
Tisch’s statement:
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments. I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
