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Jeffrey Epstein arranged a meeting with Tim Cook for the former head of Windows

Emails from the Epstein files appear to show how Steven Sinofsky relied on Epstein for a connection to Apple’s CEO.

Emails from the Epstein files appear to show how Steven Sinofsky relied on Epstein for a connection to Apple’s CEO.

Tim Cook
Tim Cook
Getty Images for Vox Media
Richard Lawler
is a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget.

Emails released by the Justice Department on Friday appear to show that former Windows boss Steven Sinofsky not only consulted Jeffrey Epstein for help in securing his $14 million “retirement” package in November of 2012, but also in working on future career steps at other companies like Samsung or Apple. One document appears to show that a couple of weeks after Sinofsky’s departure was announced, Epstein wrote to him saying Apple CEO Tim Cook was “excited to meet.”

There was just one hitch, though: Epstein said Cook had heard Sinofsky was starting a company with “farstall.” Epstein wasn’t sure of the spelling — many of his messages have typos — but it appears he was referring to former iOS VP Scott Forstall, whose exit from Apple had been announced one month before.

Related

From: Jeffrey Epstein Sent: 11/28/2012 9:27 AM To: Steven Sinofsky Subject: tim cook was excited to meet, howevr he said that he was told that you were starting a co with farstall 7 ( sp ) and in that case he would have to decline
What appears to be a 2012 email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and Steven Sinofsky.
Justice Department

Despite that, an email exchange six months later finds Sinofsky saying he did meet with Cook, and that the Apple boss told him “we should talk when I want to work full time.”

To: Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com] From: Steven Sinofsky Sent: Wed 5/29/2013 4:33:33 PM Subject: Re: Cook Asked if I am going to work. Then said we should stay in touch and talk if I want to work. It seemed pretty real. Told him non compete for rest of year and would like to stay in touch through that.
Screenshot: Justice Department

In between those messages, another email between Epstein and an “Ian Osborne” shows Osborne messaging that he “Will call this afternoon. Was with Tim Cook this morning.”

From: Ian Osborne To: Jeffrey Epstein Subject: Re: Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:50:42 +0000 Will call this afternoon. Was with Tim Cook this morning. I’m almost done with my Mubadala tour of tech-land

Osborne’s email address is redacted, but it appears that this message is from the British investor Ian Osborne, who was reportedly a “fixer to billionaires” prior to launching a SPAC, Social Capital Hedosophia, in 2017 with Chamath Palihapitiya. Last year, FT reported that a court case in London revealed that Osborne and Epstein were sending emails back and forth in 2012 discussing lobbying political figures and bank insiders in an attempt to get “our friend” Jes Staley appointed CEO of Barclays.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment from The Verge.

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