<h3>Six and a half years after the mysterious death of a billionaire, as the full scope of his sex crimes is gradually being revealed, the names of ultra-powerful figures he associated with are surfacing one after another</h3>
<figure id="attachment_459110" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459110"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="09cf3531"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/3d0f2e97b47697960a97daf3925c0e5d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459110" class="wp-caption-text">Photos released last December by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee. The identities of the women pictured with Epstein have been withheld</figcaption></figure>
Six and a half years after the mysterious death of a billionaire with deep ties to political and business elites in Europe and the United States, investigative materials released by the U.S. Department of Justice are now sending shockwaves around the world.
Jeffrey Epstein (aged 66 at death), who was arrested on charges including sex trafficking of underage girls, died by suicide in a detention facility in 2019.
The uproar began when additional investigative documents related to his case, known as the “Epstein files,” were released this January. A local media reporter explains:
“Epstein used locations such as his private island to sexually abuse and arrange prostitution for women, including more than 250 minors. The released materials include over three million pages of documents, along with images and video evidence. They also contain email records showing Epstein’s relationships with prominent figures.
Among the names mentioned are U.S. President Donald Trump (79) and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (70). Epstein had known President Trump since the 1980s and was close enough to fly on his private jet. The exposure of his close ties with leading figures in politics and business has drawn significant attention.”
Following the release of the documents, several of these prominent figures have stepped down from key positions or been taken into custody by authorities.
“Kathryn Ruemmler (54), chief legal officer of the major U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs, was found to have received luxury bags and other items from Epstein. She has announced her resignation effective this June.
Lawrence Summers (71), who served as Treasury Secretary under the Clinton administration, had maintained a relationship with Epstein for over 20 years and was found to have exchanged emails with him up until the day before his final arrest. Summers resigned from the board of the U.S. tech company OpenAI in November last year when the relationship came to light,” the reporter added.
On February 19, Prince Andrew (66), the younger brother of the King of the United Kingdom, was arrested on charges of leaking government secrets to Epstein. On February 23, former UK Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson (72) was also arrested on similar charges of leaking confidential information to Epstein.
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Contacts with Japanese nationals were also revealed..."></div>
<h3>A wave of resignations and arrests could follow</h3>
Epstein’s vast and far-reaching network extended even to Japan.
“Joichi Ito (59), who served as director of the MIT Media Lab. While Ito denies any involvement in the case itself, it has been revealed that he previously received large amounts of funding from Epstein for a personal fund. His name reportedly appears 10,000 times in the documents,” the source said.
Contacts with other Japanese individuals are also coming to light.
“As of February 24, Oki Matsumoto (62), chairman of the board of Monex Group, a major securities firm, disclosed that he had met Epstein in the past. He denied any involvement in sexual abuse, stating, ‘There was nothing improper.’
In addition, major Japanese corporations—including nationwide developers and electronics manufacturers—are rumored to have had business ties with Epstein. The extent of his network is immeasurable. There are likely still many Japanese celebrities who have not disclosed their connections,” the source added.
The Epstein case has developed into a massive global scandal, and its shockwaves show no signs of subsiding. Makiko Iizuka, a journalist based in the United States, commented:
“There is a possibility that prominent figures in politics and business linked to Epstein will resign one after another. Some names in the released documents are redacted, and victims are demanding full disclosure, including the names of perpetrators. If those names are revealed all at once, it could trigger a wave of resignations and arrests worldwide. U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick (64) has admitted to visiting Epstein’s island in 2012, and there are already calls from lawmakers for his resignation.”
The network of sexual exploitation built by the billionaire appears to conceal a darkness far deeper and more vast than anyone could imagine.
<figure id="attachment_459111" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459111"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="07a4089d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/9196c0fa8cae44c08c70a0550d41f137.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459111" class="wp-caption-text">Photos included in the documents show that he used private jets and helicopters for travel</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_459113" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459113"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="44680a2c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/c3ddbcb0197b05734832d0e4fe90e0ec.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459113" class="wp-caption-text">Melania (now his wife) attended a party hosted by Trump in 2000, along with Epstein and his then-girlfriend, Maxwell (far right)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_459117" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459117"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6cb837c9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/03/f38b6fd100e1e65ec0eb29f11f6fdec7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459117" class="wp-caption-text">Little Saint James Island, owned by Epstein, was a site of sexual abuse and is also referred to as orgy island.</figcaption></figure>
From the March 13-20, 2026 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221;

 Kyodo News (1st and 3rd photos), Getty Images (2nd photo), Afro (4th photo)

 Six and a half years have passed since the mysterious death of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Following the release of the Epstein documents, an investigative document released by the U.S. Department of Justice, there has been a series of resignations and arrests of major figures. Japan is no exception.

Epstein Files Send Shockwaves Worldwide as Links to Japan Surface and Talk of Arrest Dominoes Intensifies

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