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Who is in the Epstein files?

BBC News

Who is in the Epstein files? The list of some of the world's most rich and powerful people with ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has lengthened with the latest US government release of millions of new files from its investigation into the disgraced financier. The 30 January drop of new material - dubbed the Epstein files - included three million pages, 180,000 images, 2,000 videos, and a number of household names like Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. There is no suggestion that appearing in the documents implies any wrongdoing, and many people who have featured in previous releases have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. The release came weeks after the deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act which was signed into law by US President Donald Trump in November and required a full release of all Epstein-related documents.


Thousands of Epstein documents taken down after victims identified

BBC News

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has removed thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein from its website after victims said their identities had been compromised. Lawyers for Epstein's victims said flawed redactions in the files released on Friday had turned upside down the lives of nearly 100 survivors. Email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of potential victims could be identified were included in the release. Survivors issued a statement calling the disclosure outrageous and said they should not be named, scrutinized and retraumatized. The DOJ said it had taken down all the flagged files and that mistakes were due to technical or human error.


Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to 'Stand Up' Against the Trump Administration

WIRED

Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to'Stand Up' Against the Trump Administration The LinkedIn cofounder and frequent Trump target has a simple message for his peers: "Just speak up about the things that you think are true." Reid Hoffman doesn't do much in half measures. He cofounded LinkedIn, of course, and helped bankroll companies including Meta and Airbnb in their startup days. He has also fashioned himself, via books, podcasts, and other public appearances, as something of a public intellectual--a pro-capitalist philosopher who still insists that tech can be a force for good. Most recently, Hoffman has emerged as one of Silicon Valley's most prominent defenders of artificial intelligence . His newest book, 2025's, makes the case that AI won't diminish human capacity but will instead amplify it. Hoffman even relied on AI to make one of the most unconventional--and perhaps uncomfortable, depending on your view of AI-generated creativity--Christmas gifts I've heard of lately. Whatever you think of Hoffman's utopian views on AI, credit where due: He's also a very outspoken critic of President Trump--a rare trait in a tech world that's grown increasingly quiet, or cozy, when it comes to the cruelties of the US administration. Hoffman's overt political views haven't been without consequence: Trump has twice threatened to launch investigations into him, most recently calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to dig into Hoffman's ties to Jeffrey Epstein . He has subsequently called for the government to release the Epstein files in full.) Despite those threats, Hoffman isn't pulling punches: When we sat down to tape this episode in mid-December, he readily called out the administration for degrading American government, criticized his peers for keeping their heads down, and urged Silicon Valley to stop pretending that neutrality is a virtue. If only more billionaires were saying it. So glad to have you here. I'm glad to be here. We like to start these conversations with some very fast questions. What's the hardest lesson you've ever had to learn? Probably when to give up.


Vince Zampella, Call of Duty co-creator, dies in California car crash

BBC News

Vince Zampella, who co-created the widely-popular video game Call of Duty, has died in a single-vehicle Ferrari crash in California, aged 55. Zampella's death was confirmed by Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn Entertainment, a game studio he co-founded. This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince's family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work, a spokesperson for Electronic Arts told the BBC. Officials said the person on the vehicle's passenger seat was ejected while the driver remained trapped. It is unclear if Zampella was driving the car.


The Justice Department Just Released More Epstein Files

WIRED

The latest Epstein Files release appears to contain hundreds of photographs along with court records and other materials. Over the weekend, the Justice Department released three new data sets comprising files related to Jeffrey Epstein . The DOJ had previously released nearly 4,000 documents prior to the Friday midnight deadline required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act . As with Friday's release, the new tranche appears to contain hundreds of photographs, along with various court records pertaining to Epstein. There are around 1,200 pages in all, including images WIRED is currently going through the materials and will update with more detail.


WIRED Roundup: The 5 Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

WIRED

In today's episode of, we dive into five stories--from AI to DOGE--that encapsulate the year and give us clues as to what might unfold in 2026. For better or for worse, this year had it all--from the AI industry shaping the global economy and our lives, to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency taking over US federal agencies under Elon Musk's leadership. In today's episode, host Zoë Schiffer and executive editor Brian Barrett get together to reflect on some of this year's key moments--and how they give us important clues as to what we can expect this upcoming year. The FBI's Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Had Nearly 3 Minutes Cut Out Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . Today on the show, we're wrapping up our news episode series by reflecting on the trends and stories that shaped 2025. And who better to do that with than Brian Barrett, our executive editor who works tirelessly in the shadows? Thank you for having me. Happy to emerge from my shadowy lair. What a year it's been, and I'm so excited for it to be almost over. Because it's been quite a year news-wise, safe to say, especially in tech and politics. Honestly, it was a little bit tricky to pick which trends we should discuss today, but we settled on five stories that kind of encapsulate this year pretty well, and I think give us clues as to what is going to be unfolding in 2026. The first one that I want to talk about is dear to my heart, and it's about AI data centers. So we all know that the investment, the amount of money being spent on data centers is absolutely staggering, with companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft tripling down on AI infrastructure spending this year. But it's not just about the money that's being spent.


Ex Treasury boss Summers resigns from OpenAI after named in Epstein files

Al Jazeera

Does'America First' make the US weaker? Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene? Former United States Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has resigned from the OpenAI board, days after US President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate his and other prominent Democrats' ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The outlet Axios first reported the resignation on Wednesday. Anthropic's AI hacking claims divide experts We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board," OpenAI's board of directors said in a statement. The move comes one day after the Republican-controlled US Congress voted almost unanimously to force the release of Department of Justice files on Epstein, an outcome Trump had fought for months before ending his opposition. He has served on the OpenAI board since late 2023, following the brief removal of the ChatGPT maker's CEO, Sam Altman. Other prominent companies with ties to Summers include edu-tech firm Skillsoft, where he has been a board member since 2021, and Santander, where he chairs the bank's international advisory board. He was also a former president of Harvard University. The resignation comes after Summers announced that he would step back from all other public commitments to "rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me". "Everyone in Washington has known who Larry Summers is for decades.


Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board after Epstein emails made public

BBC News

Former US treasury secretary Larry Summers is stepping down from the board at OpenAI, a week after a tranche of emails between him and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released. Summers said in a statement to the BBC that he was grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress. Summers, who was also once the president of Harvard University, said on Monday that he would be stepping back from public commitments over his ties to Epstein. The recently released emails showed Summers communicated with Epstein until the day before Epstein's 2019 arrest for the alleged sex trafficking of minors. In a statement, the artificial intelligence company said it respected Summers' decision to resign.


Ex-Harvard president Larry Summers steps back from public role after Epstein email release

BBC News

Former Harvard president Larry Summers has said he will step back from public commitments after his emails with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein were made public. I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognise the pain they have caused, he said in a statement to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein. Emails released by Congress last week show Summers, a former US treasury secretary, communicated with Epstein until the day before the paedophile's 2019 arrest for sex trafficking minors. On Tuesday, House members are expected to vote on releasing all files related to the late sex offender.


All MAGA Wanted Was the Epstein Files. Now They're Ignoring Them

WIRED

All MAGA Wanted Was the Epstein Files. For years, MAGA influencers demanded the release of the Epstein files. Now that 20,000 documents have been released, many raising questions about Donald Trump, they're shrugging. MAGA could care less about the latest document dump on disgraced financier and convicted sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein . On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee released 20,000 documents from Epstein's estate, a number of which directly reference president Donald Trump.