Responding to a wave of online speculation alleging meetings between the Dalai Lama and disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein after the Tibetan spiritual leader’s name appeared in recently unsealed court documents, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama issued a formal statement from Dharamsala on Sunday firmly rejecting attempts to link His Holiness to the convicted sex offender.
In a brief public notice shared on the official website of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and dated 8 February, the office stated:
Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the
“Epstein files” are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein.
We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf. (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
The US Department of Justice released a fresh batch of Epstein files in January—more than three million documents, photos, and videos related to its investigation—that has intensified speculation about high-profile public figures and their participation in Epstein’s orbit, among them US President Donald Trump, former US President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk.
While the Dalai Lama is referenced multiple times in the released documents, His Holiness is not implicated in any wrongdoing, with email records from 2012 and 2015 indicating that Epstein sought to attend meetings or events with the Dalai Lama. The published references do not point to any contact, relationship, or involvement.
Social media and some media outlets have amplified speculation about the Dalai Lama without providing confirmation or corroboration.
Separately, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) published its own substantial declaration on Monday, in which it announced that a committee of researchers had analyzed the released Epstein files and found no evidence to support the media speculation.
The CTA noted that it had performed “a thorough scrutiny of the documents recently released by the United States Department of Justice” which “unequivocally established the absence of any direct participation, confirmation, or acknowledgment by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, or by anyone acting on his behalf, in relation to Jeffrey Epstein.” (Central Tibetan Administration)
The statement added that “while the name ‘Dalai Lama’ appears 154 times and ‘Dali Lama’ appears 59 times, these are primarily document duplications.” The CTA went on to emphasize that its researchers had “determined that all references to His Holiness the Dalai Lama are strictly third-party mentions, often informal, speculative, or contextual, and do not establish any interaction, relationship, or communication between His Holiness and Jeffrey Epstein.” (Central Tibetan Administration)
The CTA also published a five-page report on its findings alongside the statement, concluding:
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not appear as an email sender, recipient, or participant.
• All references are third-party, informal, or speculative.
• No document demonstrates awareness, acceptance, or engagement by His Holiness.
• Repetition of mentions is largely due to document duplication, not frequency of independent references.Conclusion
Based on a thorough technical and contextual analysis of DOJ-released documents, any claim suggesting a relationship, meeting, or communication between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Epstein is unfounded. (Central Tibetan Administration)
In the long-awaited process of releasing the file, the US Justice Department reportedly assigned hundreds of lawyers to review the materials and apply redactions to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims and to avoiding interfering with ongoing investigations. According to media reports, members of the US Congress are able to review unredacted versions of the released records from 9 February.
See more
Press Statement (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
Central Tibetan Administration Rejects Unfounded Allegations of Meeting Between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Epstein (Central Tibetan Administration)
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