Reputation Restoration Derailed? Emails Position Leon Black As Bullied By Jeffrey Epstein

In attempting to claw a comeback in the court of public opinion financial mogul Leon Black made plenty of mistakes. 

At the top of list, I contend, was getting involved in so much litigation. That was high-profile, keeping him a headliner in the media for questionable activities. So toxic was his reputation at that time that the chair of law firm Paul Weiss which had represented him - Brad Karp - made a point of stating in a BusinessInsider interview that Black was no longer a client.

But Black finally did move the needle toward reputation restoration. A sign of that was his conducting engaging interviews with media such as Puck last year. In them he fed journalists juicy snippets of how it was to be a Friend of Jeffrey. Brilliant strategy to neutralize the force field. 

Black seemed to be making significant progress. The media even went on to note that he was attending major financial conferences.

Now, with the intensifying interest during the Trump administration about Epstein Everything, it was inevitable that Black would again be pulled back into that public relations nightmare. As you recall, it resulted in his stepping down from heading Apollo, which he had co-founded, and chairing the board at the Museum of Modern Art, a post he loved. 

The New York Times reports:

" ... new emails, along with court documents and interviews, provide the most complete picture yet of that relationship [between Black and Epstein]. They come at a time of renewed interest in Mr. Epstein, stoked by the Trump administration’s refusal to release government records related to investigations into him ..."

That batch of emails captures a dynamic of Epstein bullying Black. Repeatedly he puts the muscle on the billionaire for more and more money. And Black, although sometimes balking, submits. The tone of Epstein's communications is browbeating. 

What a humiliating positioning of one of those financial masters of the universe. Instead of outrage about possible wrongdoing, there may be mocking smirks. 

Also what could derail Black's rebranding post-scandal is that NYT discloses that Epstein set up the introduction to Woody Allen for his son interested in film production. Currently, there's growing antipathy about Nepo babies. Many wish Nepo Baby Chloe Malle downright failure in her EIC role on Vogue. 

In intuitive coaching/tarot reading I warn clients about guilt by association. That can be as basic as having a boss who's going to be fired. Strategy is required.

Thrown off your game, maybe the first time since you started working? You made all the right moves and then the world moved in another direction.

Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). Yes, test out the chemistry. Zero risk.