By A Group of Tibetan Researchers
Months after the United States Congress passed the bipartisan “Epstein Files Transparency Act” in November 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released over 3 million pages of documents, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. This unprecedented disclosure offers a chilling look into Jeffrey Epstein’s operations and the vast reach of his high-profile social network. The records reveal a disturbing proximity between Epstein and some of the world’s most influential figures. Elon Musk appears in 2012 logs inquiring about the “wildest party” on Epstein’s island, despite previous public denials. A new image has emerged of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—the former Duke of York—showing him in a compromising position with an unidentified woman. Deepak Chopra appears in the files, writing in one email: “God is a construct. Cute girls are real.” Even Noam Chomsky, author of Manufacturing Consent, reportedly advised Epstein on managing bad press, dismissing the reporting on Epstein’s abuses as a “hysteria that has developed about abuse of women.” While these records have exposed the genuine, chilling proximity of Jeffrey Epstein to global elites, in some instances, they have also become a breeding ground for disinformation.
The Dalai Lama’s name appears in these files over a hundred times. But while figures like Noam Chomsky and Deepak Chopra were exposed actively advising Epstein as late as February 2019, the context regarding the Dalai Lama tells a fundamentally different story: one of Epstein’s unrequited pursuits, not the Dalai Lama’s complicity. For perspective, the names of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Nehru appear 352, 69, and 26 times, respectively. Because the files include every name drop in recorded conversations, a mere mention does not equate to association. Yet, perhaps not surprisingly, this has not stopped the Chinese state media from weaponizing the news.
A Manufactured Scandal
Within days of the release of documents, outlets like CGTN and China Radio International’s “China Perspective” flooded social media with headlines framing references to the Dalai Lama as “proof” of repeated meetings. The goal was clear: to paint the Dalai Lama as a “wolf in monk’s robes” and delegitimize the Tibetan anti-colonial movement. Li Jingjing, a prominent state-affiliated influencer, tweeted to her followers: “You ‘free Tibet’ people have been worshiping a CIA-sponsored pedophile.” This state-led campaign found a disturbingly uncritical audience. Even India’s Financial Express and Times Now ran the sensationalist headline, “Dalai Lama met Jeffrey Epstein in 2012,” notably omitting the nature of those mentions. Many of these posts share a format and pattern—pairing a single Epstein email “going now to the event w dalai lama” with a previously debunked, heavily edited video of the Dalai Lama—that strongly suggest they are part of a concerted disinformation campaign. Past analyses of similar disinformation campaigns have shown links to Beijing.
In an era defined by the abuse of power among the global elite, it is understandable why such narratives find fertile ground. For many, the allegations felt plausible simply because they mirrored a broader pattern of institutional betrayal. Few individuals possess the resources to fact-check, especially when legacy outlets ignore nuance in favor of clickbait. The tragedy is that the burden of proof has shifted. Consequently, the Tibetan community is left to defend itself against a manufactured scandal. The “truth,” unfortunately, becomes whatever is loudest. Recognizing this, we—a collective of Tibetan scholars—undertook the task of reading through all the files that have mentions of the Dalai Lama and analyzing them. The search for ‘Dalai Lama’ on the Department of Justice (DOJ) website generated a total of 156 entries, whereas the search for ‘Dalai’ generated a total of 168 entries. Two of 168 search results, EFTA01595110 & EFTA01246900, were completely unrelated to the Dalai Lama and likely a technical/clerical mistake. We have spent the past few days reading through all 168 entries. Our investigation yielded the following key findings (for chronology of mentions, see Annexure 1).
1: The Dalai Lama was on an Aspirational “Target Lists”
Between May and July 2015, Jeffrey Epstein sought a meeting with the Dalai Lama. He attempted to leverage Joi Ito (MIT Media Lab) and Tenzin Priyadarshi (MIT Ethics Initiative) to broker an introduction. Epstein’s interest was part of a broader pattern of “collecting” Nobel laureates and scientists to bolster his social credibility and intellectual standing. According to a Vanity Fair profile, Mr. Epstein, who lacked a college degree, courted prominent scientists and Nobel laureates to bolster his credibility and social standing, treating them almost like status symbols in elite circles.
2. No Contact or Meetings ever took place
Despite Epstein’s efforts, the records show no direct contact or meetings occurred between him and the Dalai Lama or his office. The widely disseminated disinformation, including by Times of India—about a particular exchange between Epstein and an unidentified female associate on October 21, 2012, purporting to show that the Dalai Lama has visited the island, stems from a deliberate misinterpretation of an exchange. When Epstein asked to meet an unidentified female associate, she declined, writing: “About the event I told u almost a month ago on the island that dalai lama is coming and I want to go there to see him. But I can skip this event if u need my help today.” Epstein replied, “I did call, ..go to event , This is bullshit.” In this context, “on the island” clearly refers to the location where the associate originally informed Epstein of the upcoming visit, rather than suggesting the Dalai Lama was visiting the island itself. The Dalai Lama was merely a topic of conversation; the “event” in question—which took place on October 21, 2012, as the text clearly states—was a public teaching at Lincoln Center in New York, as verified by official records and video footage.
While Michael Wolff—frequently criticized by peers for lacking journalistic integrity and for inventing facts—claimed to have seen the Dalai Lama at Epstein’s Manhattan apartment for a social gathering, contemporaneous email records refute this claim. On May 15, 2015, a year after Wolff claimed to have started frequenting Epstein’s home, Epstein suggested a “fun dinner” with the Dalai Lama, Woody Allen, and Chomsky in an email to Joi Ito. Ito responded that his student, Tenzin Priyadarshi, “can get us the Dalai Lama.” Recently released documents reveal that only two weeks later, Wolff himself was advising Epstein to use this planned gathering to “overshadow all other issues” and “turn the narrative on its ear.” However, as late as March 2016, Ito’s email to Epstein referred to a potential meeting with the Dalai Lama as a “next stop,” confirming that such an encounter had not yet occurred. These records indicate that Epstein was still unsuccessfully “working on” an introduction years after Wolff’s alleged sighting. We requested clarification regarding the timing of the alleged meeting from Wolff—via his Substack and X—as well as from The Daily Beast, but we have not received a response. The Dalai Lama’s office confirmed there were no meetings or authorized dealings with Epstein.
3: Nature of Document References
All mentions of the Dalai Lama within the data set are third-party, speculative, or aspirational. The references can be broken down into approximately 35 unique core events/emails, which were then replicated across 166 entries. Of the 166 mentions, approximately 70% are duplicates or redundant system files (see Annexure 2 for detailed categorization).
| Category | Simplified Title | Content Description | Mentions |
| Aspirational Meetings | Wish Lists & Unfulfilled Plans | Emails where people expressed a strong desire to meet the Dalai Lama or tried to plan dinners with him. | 29 |
| Intermediaries (MIT/Tenzin) | Middlemen & Connections | Conversations involving specific people or institutions (like MIT’s Media Lab) acting as a “bridge” to reach the Dalai Lama. | 24 |
| Automated Newsletters/News Article/Dossier | Generic Email Subscriptions | Mass-produced digital newsletters or “e-blasts” sent to mailing lists that included general quotes or cultural news. | 33 |
| Media / Spam / Lists/Name Drop | News Clips, Junk Mail, & Name Lists | Background “noise” in the files, such as journalists listing the Dalai Lama as a past interviewee or chain emails forwarded to many people or name drop in unrelated conversations. | 80 |
| TOTAL | 166 |
Conclusion
The Epstein Files have provided a necessary, if harrowing, accounting of how power protects its own. However, when these records are stripped of context and weaponized by state actors, uncritically amplified by influencers and online activists, they serve a different kind of corruption: manufacturing scandal. Our exhaustive review confirms that the Dalai Lama was never a member of Epstein’s circle; he was a target for “collection” by a man obsessed with proximity to moral authority. Epstein sought the Dalai Lama’s prestige to mask his own depravity, but the records show he never reached his goal. For the Tibetan community, this is more than misrepresentation; it is a coordinated attack on a movement’s moral heart. If legacy media outlets continue to prioritize clickbait over the nuance of these files, they do not just fail their readers—they become silent partners in state-sponsored disinformation. When such disinformation targets an already marginalized community, we must demand greater care and a far more critical eye from those with a platform.
(Views expressed are their own)
About the Authors
Ugyan Choedup, Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University, New Haven
Chime Youdon, Research Fellow, National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi
Tashi Yangzom, Independent Researcher, Dharamsala
Apa Lhamo, Research Fellow, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, New Delhi
Palden Sonam, Independent Researcher, Dharamsala
Annexure I: Chronology of Mentions
| Date | Event / Mention Context | File Reference |
| May 2010 | Jade Huang’s resume (sent by Martin Nowak to Epstein) mentioning she did “pro-bono work for the Dalai Lama.” The Dalai Lama mention here serves as a high-level social and professional “stamp of approval.” | EFTA02423033 EFTA02420886 |
| Mar 2011 | Kirsty Mackenzie, an editor for the BBC’s Today programme, reaches out to Epstein’s attorney to request an interview regarding stories about Epstein and Prince Andrew. To prove the show’s prestige, she lists the Dalai Lama alongside Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Mick Jagger as past guests. | EFTA02536747 EFTA00906083 EFTA01158624 EFTA02536734 EFTA00906021 |
| Aug 2011 | Mind & Life Institute announcement regarding Adam Engle’s retirement through mass email. It identifies the Mind & Life Institute as being “Co-Founded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” This was a standard newsletter or announcement received by Epstein’s circle. | EFTA02184408 |
| Sep 2011 | CORE: A club communique listing upcoming high-society events. An event for the film For the Benefit of All Beings, hosted by Michael Imperioli, is described. The blurb mentions a Tibetan lama who “allowed the Dalai Lama to escape” the Chinese invasion. | EFTA02184377 |
| Oct 2012 | A text/email argument between Epstein and a female associate. Epstein’s female associate discusses attending a “public event of the Dalai Lama” instead of meeting Epstein. Epstein had requested to see the associate “tomorrow” (Oct 21). She replied that she was unable to come because she was attending an “event w/ dalai lama” followed by a birthday dinner for a friend named Anastasia. The mention of the Dalai Lama was a topic of conversation. | EFTA00668827 EFTA01990385 EFTA01766112 EFTA00945869 EFTA01988620 EFTA01766886 EFTA01763970 EFTA00668815 EFTA01765949 EFTA01763994 |
| Dec 2012 | Discussion of a Dalai Lama children’s book (Now I Know by Sally Devorgine) to be translated into Thai. A correspondent (“Mom”) discusses translating the book into Thai. Says the book is endorsed by the Dalai Lama. Epstein is looped into the planning of how to promote this “worthwhile” project for children using the Dalai Lama’s endorsement | EFTA00949395 EFTA01915029 EFTA00661601 EFTA02687548 |
| Jun 2013 | Epstein shares a news link with Olivier Colom about the Dalai Lama saying women make better leaders. The article covers the Dalai Lama stating that the next Dalai Lama could be female and that women are better leaders due to their capacity for compassion. | EFTA02520637 EFTA01968355 EFTA01967468 EFTA01967534 EFTA00963481 |
| Oct 2014 | Joscha Bach emails Epstein about a time to talk. Bach notes he is free only until “12 (when the Dalai Lama comes).” | EFTA00999417 |
| Jan 2015 | David Lopez, a contributor to the Spanish edition of Vanity Fair, writes to Epstein seeking a story about Sarah Ferguson. Lopez cites his interviews with “relevant people from the Dalai Lama, to… Charles Manson” to establish his journalistic “fairness” and pedigree. | EFTA00866108 EFTA00866120 EFTA00864013 EFTA02511073 EFTA00863923 |
| May 2015 | Epstein and Joi Ito discuss meeting Tenzin Priyadarshi to secure a dinner with the Dalai Lama. Epstein tells Joi Ito a “fun dinner would be dali lama. woody allen chomsky.” By May 11, Epstein is telling Soon-Yi Previn (Woody Allen’s wife) that he is “working on the dalai lama for dinner.” | EFTA02504362 EFTA00666201 |
| Jul 2015 | Tom Pritzker tells Epstein he has an “early lunch” with the Dalai Lama, causing him to decline a meeting. Pritzker ultimately responded to the lunch proposal, saying, “Can’t do it. Will explain”. | EFTA00851974 EFTA00851978 EFTA00625566 |
| Mar 2016 | After Epstein meets Tenzin Priyadarshi, Ito writes, “Next stop. The Dalai Lama.” A plan that has not been realized. | EFTA01787553 |
| Oct 2016 | A long philosophical thread between Deepak Chopra and Epstein. Chopra tells Epstein he questioned the Dalai Lama on “dream states” and found his knowledge lacking. | EFTA00693327 EFTA00814418 EFTA01739459 EFTA01803632 |
| Dec 2017 | A discussion between Tenzin Priyadarshi, Joi Ito, and Epstein about a donation ($50k) to Prajnopaya Institute, a non-profit organization founded by Tenzin Priyadarshi. Tenzin wrote to Epstein that the $50,000 was spent mostly on “legal and logistical costs pertaining to the Harvard, MA property,” a project that the organization eventually decided not to pursue. | EFTA00927522 |
| Feb 2019 | iMessages between Chopra and Epstein shortly before Epstein’s final arrest. Chopra sends Epstein a link to a news story about him and “friends” meeting the Dalai Lama in India. | EFTA01619635 EFTA01212086 EFTA00783726 EFTA00509234 EFTA01619635 EFTA01212084 |
Annexure II: Details of the Categorization
For cross-reference, each file name can be searched here
Category 1: Aspirational Meetings (Wish Lists & Unfulfilled Plans)
- EFTA02514654
- EFTA02599144
- EFTA02343458
- EFTA00938265
- EFTA00938281
- EFTA00934233
- EFTA00934318
- EFTA00934296
- EFTA00870323
- EFTA02496684
- EFTA02469656
- EFTA00906083
- EFTA02393791
- EFTA00703054
- EFTA01191084
- EFTA02336844
- EFTA02709027
- EFTA02504362
- EFTA00857233
- EFTA02502449
- EFTA00666201
- EFTA00857289
- EFTA01750253
- EFTA02504329
- EFTA02366667
- EFTA01786724
- EFTA00626020
- EFTA00856869
- EFTA00856863
CATEGORY 2: Intermediaries (MIT / Jo/Tenzin / Institutional Bridge Context)
- EFTA02704654
- EFTA00698324
- EFTA02391933
- EFTA02470576
- EFTA02470410
- EFTA02704746
- EFTA02719296
- EFTA01759381
- EFTA01786045
- EFTA02598111
- EFTA01003631
- EFTA00651881
- EFTA02356895
- EFTA00833785
- EFTA02504488
- EFTA01786754
- EFTA00927536
- EFTA02511141
- EFTA02704637
- EFTA02470551
- EFTA02392309
- EFTA00833787
- EFTA02394442
- EFTA00703653
CATEGORY 3: Automated Newsletters / News Article / Dossier
- EFTA01968355
- EFTA01967468
- EFTA01971473
- EFTA01197981
- EFTA01195076
- EFTA00711381
- EFTA01931795
- EFTA02006800
- EFTA01093407
- EFTA00800267
- EFTA00148896
- EFTA00136746
- EFTA01658495
- EFTA01713378
- EFTA00214655
- EFTA00221136
- EFTA00013635
- EFTA01197789
- EFTA00135712
- EFTA00214252
- EFTA01249890
- EFTA00661601
- EFTA02687548
- EFTA00949395
- EFTA00931944
- EFTA02184377
- EFTA02012742
- EFTA00783713
- EFTA01212084
- EFTA00632316
- EFTA02002952
- EFTA01200179
- EFTA00963525
CATEGORY 4: Media / Spam / Lists / Name Drop
- EFTA00851974
- EFTA00851978
- EFTA00165389
- EFTA00283689
- EFTA00625566
- EFTA00650640
- EFTA00833765
- EFTA00870138
- EFTA00870378
- EFTA01741774
- EFTA01967234
- EFTA01967534
- EFTA02357966
- EFTA02704876
- EFTA00390701
- EFTA02597808
- EFTA02496443
- EFTA01192599.
- EFTA01721197
- EFTA01071626
- EFTA00008120
- EFTA00008320
- EFTA01721397
- EFTA01090973
- EFTA02536747
- EFTA02563395
- EFTA00864018
- EFTA01158624
- EFTA01915029
- EFTA00668666
- EFTA02536734
- EFTA00906021
- EFTA02369919
- EFTA02552635
- EFTA00906025
- EFTA00863923
- EFTA00693327
- EFTA01619635
- EFTA00814407
- EFTA01803632
- EFTA01739459
- EFTA01183560
- EFTA00814418
- EFTA01205815
- EFTA00308089
- EFTA00999417
- EFTA02595431
- EFTA01787553
- EFTA02184408
- EFTA00927522
- EFTA02423033
- EFTA00866108
- EFTA02420886
- EFTA02511073
- EFTA00864013
- EFTA00866120
- EFTA02558045
- EFTA00583603
- EFTA02562342
- EFTA00583606
- EFTA00947115
- EFTA02344966
- EFTA01763994
- EFTA01765949
- EFTA00668815
- EFTA01763970
- EFTA01766886
- EFTA02386055
- EFTA01988620
- EFTA00945869
- EFTA02562658
- EFTA01766112
- EFTA01990385
- EFTA00668827
- EFTA02520637
- EFTA00509225
- EFTA00963512
- EFTA00963481
- EFTA02337000
- EFTA01971718
