Who is Ian Osborne in the Epstein files?

Ian Osborne is a British investor and founder of Hedosophia, a billion-dollar venture capital fund. The Epstein files reveal he was a close business associate of Jeffrey Epstein from at least 2011 onward. Documents show Osborne offered to manage Epstein's reputation after his 2008 conviction, pitched strategies to restore Epstein's public profile, and helped lobby for the appointment of Jes Staley as Barclays CEO. He appears in over 1,600 documents including personal emails, calendars, investment records, and seminar invitation lists.

What did Ian Osborne do for Jeffrey Epstein?

According to documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Osborne pitched a PR strategy to Epstein proposing to 'steadily restore your profile in select media, political and philanthropic circles' and to 'establish you as a pioneering supporter of science and technology.' He also offered to 'clean up' Epstein's Google search results to downrank news stories about his criminal conviction. Additionally, Osborne helped lobby British financial and political figures — including Barclays deputy chair Mike Rake and Bank of England staff — to support the appointment of Jes Staley as Barclays CEO, in what was dubbed 'Project Jes.'

What is Hedosophia's connection to Jeffrey Epstein?

Hedosophia is a venture capital fund founded by Ian Osborne in 2012. Investment records in the Epstein files show that Osborne signed documents as Director of 'Hedosophia Alpha Limited' on a voting agreement connected to Epstein's business interests. Reports indicate that Epstein guided Osborne in setting up the fund and appointed him to one of his own investment vehicles. Hedosophia has since become one of Europe's most prominent fintech investors, backing companies like Spotify and TransferWise, and Osborne later co-founded Social Capital Hedosophia, a SPAC vehicle, with Chamath Palihapitiya.

How often did Ian Osborne meet with Jeffrey Epstein?

Epstein's personal calendars and scheduling emails show frequent meetings between the two from at least 2012 through 2014. These include regular breakfasts and multi-hour appointments in New York, attendance at social events such as Eva's Benefit gala at the Mandarin Oriental and an HBO screening, multi-day visits when Osborne traveled to New York, and phone calls coordinated through Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff. One email from September 2012 shows Osborne directly emailing Epstein about business connections involving Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman.

What happened to Ian Osborne after the Epstein files were released?

Following the DOJ's release of Epstein-related documents in early 2026, Havas — the global advertising company where Osborne serves as a non-executive board member — said it was 'looking into this topic' but declined to say whether Osborne would remain on its board. Osborne issued a statement saying he 'wholeheartedly regrets' his association with Epstein, claimed he never witnessed or was aware of Epstein's illegal behavior, and called his involvement 'a serious error of judgment.'

Who is Ian Osborne in the Epstein files?

Ian Osborne is a British investor and founder of Hedosophia, a billion-dollar venture capital fund. The Epstein files reveal he was a close business associate of Jeffrey Epstein from at least 2011 onward. Documents show Osborne offered to manage Epstein's reputation after his 2008 conviction, pitched strategies to restore Epstein's public profile, and helped lobby for the appointment of Jes Staley as Barclays CEO. He appears in over 1,600 documents including personal emails, calendars, investment records, and seminar invitation lists.

What did Ian Osborne do for Jeffrey Epstein?

According to documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Osborne pitched a PR strategy to Epstein proposing to 'steadily restore your profile in select media, political and philanthropic circles' and to 'establish you as a pioneering supporter of science and technology.' He also offered to 'clean up' Epstein's Google search results to downrank news stories about his criminal conviction. Additionally, Osborne helped lobby British financial and political figures — including Barclays deputy chair Mike Rake and Bank of England staff — to support the appointment of Jes Staley as Barclays CEO, in what was dubbed 'Project Jes.'

What is Hedosophia's connection to Jeffrey Epstein?

Hedosophia is a venture capital fund founded by Ian Osborne in 2012. Investment records in the Epstein files show that Osborne signed documents as Director of 'Hedosophia Alpha Limited' on a voting agreement connected to Epstein's business interests. Reports indicate that Epstein guided Osborne in setting up the fund and appointed him to one of his own investment vehicles. Hedosophia has since become one of Europe's most prominent fintech investors, backing companies like Spotify and TransferWise, and Osborne later co-founded Social Capital Hedosophia, a SPAC vehicle, with Chamath Palihapitiya.

How often did Ian Osborne meet with Jeffrey Epstein?

Epstein's personal calendars and scheduling emails show frequent meetings between the two from at least 2012 through 2014. These include regular breakfasts and multi-hour appointments in New York, attendance at social events such as Eva's Benefit gala at the Mandarin Oriental and an HBO screening, multi-day visits when Osborne traveled to New York, and phone calls coordinated through Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff. One email from September 2012 shows Osborne directly emailing Epstein about business connections involving Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman.

What happened to Ian Osborne after the Epstein files were released?

Following the DOJ's release of Epstein-related documents in early 2026, Havas — the global advertising company where Osborne serves as a non-executive board member — said it was 'looking into this topic' but declined to say whether Osborne would remain on its board. Osborne issued a statement saying he 'wholeheartedly regrets' his association with Epstein, claimed he never witnessed or was aware of Epstein's illegal behavior, and called his involvement 'a serious error of judgment.'

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Ian Osborne

Person

Also known as:

Ian Osbornelan OsboneIAN OSBORNE

1,629

Total Mentions

1,620

Documents

1,238

Connected Entities

British venture capital investor, co-founder of Hedosophia, former adviser to tech executives

Wikipedia

Ian Osborne, founder of the billion-dollar venture fund Hedosophia and board member of Havas, appears extensively in the Epstein files as a close business associate who offered to rehabilitate Epstein's public image after his 2008 conviction and helped lobby for the appointment of Jes Staley as Barclays CEO in a scheme dubbed 'Project Jes.'

Osborne appears in personal emails, scheduling calendars, seminar invitation lists, and investment records spanning at least 2011–2014. The documents show direct personal correspondence between Osborne and Epstein, regular in-person meetings in New York and London, and Osborne's signature on Hedosophia investment documents connected to Epstein's business interests. He is listed alongside prominent figures like Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, Peter Thiel, and Bill Gates on Epstein's 'seminar' invitation lists. Many of his 1,600+ mentions stem from scheduling entries in Epstein's calendars showing recurring appointments — breakfasts, dinners, and multi-day visits — as well as emails coordinated through Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff.

Key Highlights

•Osborne pitched a PR strategy to Epstein in 2011 proposing to 'steadily restore your profile in select media, political and philanthropic circles' and to 'clean up' Epstein's Google search results — this was after Epstein's 2008 conviction
•Investment records show Osborne signed documents as Director of 'Hedosophia Alpha Limited' on an amended voting agreement connected to Epstein's interests, and a file labels Osborne under 'REPUTATION MANAGEMENT' alongside Steve Hoffenberg
•Emails and FCA evidence show Osborne and Epstein discussed lobbying Barclays deputy chair Mike Rake and Bank of England staff to install Jes Staley as Barclays CEO — a campaign known as 'Project Jes'
•Epstein's calendars show frequent personal meetings: breakfasts, appointments, dinners, and attendance at events together including Eva's Benefit gala and a screening of HBO's Behind the Candelabra
•Osborne was invited to Epstein's exclusive science seminars alongside Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, Peter Thiel, Boris Nikolic, and Michael Milken, with a note asking to 'add Ian to both seminar lists'

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Filthy Rich: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

James Patterson

Bestselling account of Epstein's crimes and network

Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Bradley J. Edwards

Victims' attorney's firsthand account

Document Mentions (20 of 1,620)

EFTA00308239.pdf

EFTA00308239

2 mentions

7:00 Appt w/, ??? Appt w/Terje late October 22nd, Saturday 10:00 Appt w~ 11:00 Appt w/Adam Bly (~ p) 12:00 CALL Dr. JARECKI ( I 1:30 A t w Ian Osborne & Michael Wolfe (Ian: Michael: 2:30 Appt w/Anthon Barrett & Francis, Cornell Scientist (Anthony cell: p) 4:00 Appt w/Reid Weingarten (~p) October

1-2ish Appt w/Alan Dershowitz 4:30 Appt w/Jes, Ian Osborne & Yuri 5:00 Drinks w/Leon Black ( ) EFTA0030823

EFTA02553268.pdf

EFTA02553268

2 mentions

From: Lesley Groff Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 5:14 PM To: Jeffrey Epstein CC Subject: Call Ian Osborn ell Call Ian Osborne ell <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/Propertylist-1.0.dtd">

EFTA02545342.pdf

EFTA02545342

2 mentions

From: Lesley Groff < Sent: Friday, October 7, 2011 7:07 PM To: lefffre E stein Cc: Lynn and lop Subject: Ian Osborne & Michael Wolfe Ian Osborne would like to come over tomorrow to see you along with Michael W=lfe preferably in the afternoon. Would you like to see them at say 2:00? = Sent fro

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EFTA00409904.pdf

EFTA00409904

2 mentions

Subject: Ian Osborne & Steve Kosslyn to meet up in San Fran? when — T

Subject: Ian Osborne & Steve Kosslyn to meet up in San Fran? when — This to do is stored on an IMAP server. — It is managed by Mail; do not modify or delete it. 'Ian Osb

EFTA00408344.pdf

EFTA00408344

2 mentions

Subject: Ian Osborne & Steve Kosslyn to meet up in San Fran? when — T

Subject: Ian Osborne & Steve Kosslyn to meet up in San Fran? when — This to do is stored on an IMAP server. — It is managed by Mail; do not modify or delete it. 'Ian Osb

EFTA00409537.pdf

EFTA00409537

2 mentions

Subject: Ian Osborne & Steve Kosslyn to meet up in San Fran? when — T

Subject: Ian Osborne & Steve Kosslyn to meet up in San Fran? when — This to do is stored on an IMAP server. — It is managed by Mail; do not modify or delete it. 'Ian Osb

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EFTA00308108.pdf

EFTA00308108

2 mentions

t w, 12:30 Lunch w/Chris Poole 5:00 Appt w November 20, Sunday 10/10:30 Appt w/Ehud Barak and Nili 12:00 Lunch w/Dr. Richard Axel Joe Pagano )(lan Osborne join?) EFTA00308109 7:7:00 Apptw/Reid Wein arte ??? Dinner Ian Osborne & Sean Parker (still need confirm from Ian) November 21, Monday Ian Osbo

Osborne join?) EFTA00308109 7:7:00 Apptw/Reid Wein arte ??? Dinner Ian Osborne & Sean Parker (still need confirm from Ian) November 21, Monday Ian Osborne & Peter Thiel today? 11:00 Conf. Call w Joe, Lilly, Chris, Darren 1:00 Scott Dennet at the house 2:30 Appt w/Dr. Fatimah for an EMG ex ect an hour a

EFTA00423413.pdf

EFTA00423413

2 mentions

ingarten () ( ) Joe Pagano ( )(Ian Osborne EFTA00423413 ??? Dinner Ian Osborne & Sean Parker (still need confirm from Ian) November 21, Monday Ian Osborne & Peter Thiel today? 11:00 Conf. Call w/Joe, Lilly, Chris, Darren ( 2:30 Appt w/Dr. Fatimah for an EMG (expect an hour apps) 162 78th Street between

ber 20, Sunday 10/10:30 Appt w/Ehud Barak and Nili ( 12:00 Lunch w/Dr. Richard Axel (I join?) 7:7:00 Apptw/Reid Weingarten () ( ) Joe Pagano ( )(Ian Osborne EFTA00423413 ??? Dinner Ian Osborne & Sean Parker (still need confirm from Ian) November 21, Monday Ian Osborne & Peter Thiel today? 11:00 Con

EFTA02315745.pdf

EFTA02315745

2 mentions

derby On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 =t 7:44 AM, Lesley Gro > wrote: there. Hosain R=hman is Ian's friend (colleague?) not sure of the true connection, but=lan Osborne IS the connection Hosain's cell: Ian Osbor=e's cell: Ian Email: This is the first I have hear= of these 2 men coming on friday as well...possibly

Gro > wrote: there. Hosain R=hman is Ian's friend (colleague?) not sure of the true connection, but=lan Osborne IS the connection Hosain's cell: Ian Osbor=e's cell: Ian Email: This is the first I have hear= of these 2 men coming on friday as well...possibly have mo=e information on arrival time? Or

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EFTA00293608.pdf

EFTA00293608

1 mention

4:00pm Appt w/Victoria Black Charles Hotel I Bennett Street, Cambridge Than. Oct. 24, 2013 NY-LSJ Reminder: Last day of MIT Fall Event Reminder: Ian Osborne in NY Oct. 24,25 3:00pm Appt )v/Alex Black TBD Wheels up in the evening for LSJ Fri. Oct 25, 2013 LSJ Sat Oct 26, 2013 LSJ Sun. Oct 27. 2013 LSJ

EFTA00315407.pdf

EFTA00315407

1 mention

itlin is assistant: cell) 2:00pm Appt w/Patricia Neville p) 3:30pm Appt w/Todd Meister & Neil Burger)( 4:00pm Appt w/Dan Ariely ( 5:00pm Appt w/lan Osborne 6:30pm Screening of Michael Douglas/Catherine Zeta-Jones screening/HBO BEHIND THE CANDELABRA 20 Time Warner Center / Columbus Circle Between 58th

EFTA00306217.pdf

EFTA00306217

1 mention

in is assistant: 202.203.8685, 2:00pm Appt w/Patricia Neville ( 3:30pm Appt w/Todd Meister & Neil Burger{ 4:00pm Appt w/Dan Ariely 5:00pm Appt w/lan Osborne 6:30pm Screening of Michael Douglas/Catherine Zeta-Jones screening/HBO BEHIND THE CANDELABRA 20 Time Warner Center / Columbus Circle Between 58th

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EFTA00315404.pdf

EFTA00315404

1 mention

Cocktails Lobby Lounge of Mandarin Oriental (FESTIVE ATTIRE) 8:00pm Eva's Benefit: Dinner & Entertainment (Mandarin Ballroom) Table for 10: Jetey, Ian Osborne, TUESDAY DEC. 11, 2012- NY 6:00pm Nutcracker Ballet, Lincoln Center, 70 West 63ni Street. You have 6 tickets. WEDNESDAY DEC 12 2012- NY on holida

EFTA00365234.pdf

EFTA00365234

1 mention

10) -Reminder: Bobby Slayton to depart today -Reminder: Frederic Fekkai -Reminder: Call wand David Blaine TBD Wheels up to NY 2-4:00pm Appt w/lan Osborne cell) 5:00pm Haircut w/Patrick at the Ethical Salon (714 .5th Ave, btwn 55th & 56th) ??? ??? friend?? friend, Me" n? TBD Jean Luc in the even

EFTA00292673.pdf

EFTA00292673

1 mention

Epstein ( 7:00 Dinner w/chef Frances for girls 7:15 Drinks w/Mark Lloyd and Lars (Mark ) Physical Therapist April 18. Wednesday ***Phone Date w/lan Osborne, need time*** a to visit in the morning*** *** Harry Beller to show you numbers?*** cell) 8:30 Breakfast w/Leon Black and possibly Mike Milken (

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HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028784 - HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028785

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

Jaron Lanier Dick Merkin (?) Michael Milken (?) Nathan Myhrvold Boris Nikolic Larry Page Tom Pritzker Eric Schmidt Jim Simons Jes Staley Peter Thiel Ian Osborne (add lan to both seminar lists?) HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028784 --- PAGE BREAK --- Seminar-POWER Bill Clinton Howard Gardner Bill Gates George Mitchell Mic

Page: HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028784 →

EFTA00300260.pdf

EFTA00300260

1 mention

ecuted this FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED VOTING AGREEMENT dated June 16. 2011, as of May 15. 2012. INVESTORS: HEDOSOPHIA ALPHA LIMITED By: Name: Ian Osborne Title: Director VOTING AGREEMENT SIGNATURE PAGE EFTA00300288 DocuSign Envelope ID: 7095B310aDD4473F-AA4D•CD44714AFF27 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, purs

EFTA00381130.pdf

EFTA00381130

1 mention

ewis is probably not around... did you want him to ask David Brenner?) Thurs. Oct. 24, 2013 NY-LSJ Reminder: Last day of MIT Fall Event Reminder: Ian Osborne in NY Oct. 24,25 Reminder: Call Brian and wish him a happy birthday 3:00pm Appt iv/Alex Black TBD Wheels up in the evening for LSJ Fri. Oct 25, 2

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EFTA00299927.pdf

EFTA00299927

1 mention

ONSHIP STEVE HOFFENBERG REPUTATION MANAGEMENT -Ian Osborne -Macintyre Internet Representation Agreement -A

EFTA00143524.pdf

EFTA00143524

1 mention

and top BoE [Bank of England] staff. I am seeing the chancellor anyway next Thursdayl Previous evidence outlined by the FCA showed that Epstein and Ian Osborne also discussed contacting the Barclays deputy chair Mike Rake as part of their efforts. "I won't do anything before hearing back from you but I'm

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Connected Entities(20 of 1,238)

Jeffrey Epstein