Epstein and the Dalai Lama: a case study in lies and social media toxicity

| Tibet & Tibetan Buddhist archive |

Abstract: On 30 January 2026 the Epstein Files were released by the United States Department of Justice. Despite being heavily redacted, the more than 3.5 million pages of mostly email correspondence and flight logs revealed the true horror of Jeffrey Epstein's activities. Within this large cache of recorded, a preliminary DOJ index noted that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was mentioned 169 times, primarily within ten items of correspondence. Following an obviously superficial analysis of this material, less than a week later - on 5 January 2026 - social media podcaster DrWeberSpeaks posted the interpreted falsehood that the Dalai Lama therefore "...visited Epstein on his island 159 times." This was a lie, and a gross distortion of the information available within the Epstein Files. It clearly reveals the dangerous, toxic nature of social media in the current era, unrestrained by the norms of research and reporting upon facts at hand, without distortion and the presentation of interpretive opinion as fact. The following article looks into this issue, revealing His Holiness never met Epstein and, despite the latter's efforts, never made any attempt to do so. In addition, the unsubstantiated statement in 2025 by journalist Michael Wolff that he saw His Holiness at Epstein's Manhattan apartment around 2014 has been officially denied by the Central Tibetan Administration. 

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1. Accusations and lies

Social media in 2026 is a dangerous thing.... Early in 2026 social media podcaster "DrWeberSpeaks" jumped-the-gun and stated the following in a 1 minute Shorts posting on YouTube:

We now know that the Dali Lama visited Epstein on his island 159 times..... (DrWeberSpeaks 2026a)

Of course, this was totally false, a lie, a mistruth, misinformation - whatever you want to call it - and a total misreading by "Dr Weber" of information very recently made available in the so-called Epstein Files by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Released on 30 January 2026, they contained over 3 million pages. Five days later, after perhaps being threatened with legal action, or just being ridiculed online by comments from the public, the somewhat hyperactive "Dr Weber" retracted the statement and made the following comments, which also contained inaccuracies and mistruths:

I want to correct something I said last week that I had said mistakenly. On the DOJ I saw that he had met with the Dalai Lama 159 times. The truth of the matter is the Dalai Lama is only mentioned in emails, in Epstein's emails, where Epstein was trying to make a contact or meet with the Dalia Lama 159 times. That means the Dalai Lama was an Epstein target. Epstein really wanted to meet with this guy, you know. I'm sure it was for nothing good, as you could imagine. So saying that the Dalai Lama met with him 159 times was not right. What was right was that Epstein was trying to meet with him and there's over 159 mentions. There are two witnesses that say that Epstein in fact did have dinner with the Dalai Lama amongst others.... (DrWeberSpeaks 2026b)

So, what is the truth?

Well, first of all, Jeffrey Epstein is an international pariah - spy, money-launderer, pedophile and blackmailer. Thousands of people, including well known and famous individuals, were mentioned in the Epstein Files, with a focus on his use of young women in both his own sexual activities but also as elements of his blackmailing. Some of the records were shocking, revealing the participation in illegal and often pedophilia-related activities by noted individuals, primarily males. Others related to Epstein's activities as a spy in garnering sensitive and often secret information for sharing with the various government agencies he was associated with, those primarily being Israel's Mossad, the CIA in the United States and, to a lesser extent, MI5 / MI6 in Great Britain. It was therefore surprising to come across a YouTube video in April 2026 by Justin Peach which made the following reference to a connection between Epstein and His Holiness the Dalai Lama based on a July 2025 comment by journalist Michael Wolff, as follows:

Last year in 2025, journalist Michael Walsh [Wolff] recounted in a Daily Beast podcast episode that he encountered the Dalai Lama at Epstein's New York townhouse during one of his visits sometime around 2014 - 2015. Walsh described it as part of a salon where high-profile figures, particularly people like the Dalai Lama, would drop by. Drop by? Why would the Dalai Lama just be dropping by? Why on earth would he even be there? A specific email from October the 21st, 2012 in the files shows Epstein informing a contact that he planned to attend an event "on island because Dalai Lama is coming." (Peach 2026)

Peach quotes from the full email in such as way that we are to assume the latter reference is to Epstein's island where he prostituted young girls to his wealthy and influential clients. However, the full text of the email paints a completely different picture in regards to what the statement was actually referring to:

11.31am: Sorry for that didn't check my email since yesterday morning You know I dont have an Internet in my phone, why didn't u call me or text me in my phone if u need me? About the event I told u almost a month ago on island that dalai lama is coming and I want to go there to see him. But I can skip this event if u need my help today

We can see here that what the unnamed person - perhaps it was Ghislaine Maxwell - was actually saying to Epstein was that they had told him a couple of weeks previously, when he was on his pedophile island, that they wanted to attend the Dalia Lama talk which they were about to do, but would cancel if absolutely necessary. This is very very different than to implying that the Dalai Lama was going to visit the infamous island.

A study of Epstein's emails reveals they are often very abbreviated, notey, and ambiguous, especially when read out of context. And, like the vast majority of emails, being so brief that can easily be misinterpreted, manipulated and misrepresented.

The author is a longtime follower and supporter of the Dalai Lama, having personally engaged with him on three occasions and actively promoted the Free Tibet! movement since the early 2000s. The author's Tibet Archive linked at the head of this article outlines some of those activities, and the combined political and spiritual association with Tibet remains as of writing. However, the present article is a dispassionate attempt to clarify, and debunk, the claimed association between His Holiness and Epstein and the process in which it came about. As Epstein was very free in funding causes to gain influence perhaps leading to blackmail, it seemed at the outset that that was the connection point between the two - Epstein wanted the Dalai Lama to be another victim of his treachery. The following article seeks to reveal the suggested and implied elements to a connection, as seen, for example, in the Peach and DrWeberSpeaks podcasts. It should also be remembered that China is often behind any and all negative reporting on the activities of the Dalai Lama. The power of the Chinese lobby in regards to the media is often significant and largely invisible. Whilst the content of the Epstein Files emails has to date not revealed any case to answer on the part of His Holiness, the claim to his attendance at Epstein's New York residence requires closer investigation. However, as it is based on the uncorroborated testimony of a single person, namely Michael Wolff - though DrWeberSpeaks refers to two witnesses - the process of proving whether it is true or false is more difficult. Also, some of Epstein's emails from 2015-16 suggest he was still attempting to arrange a meeting with His Holiness.

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2. Chronology

The following is a listings of material and events wherein an Epstein Files email or piece of correspondence mentions His Holiness or an event takes place which concerns the two. Of the 169 mentions, there are 10 specific emails or items of correspondence that are relevant, with the Dalai Lama often referenced more than once with each item. The following video is the most comprehensive account of the Epstein references and the 10 emails / correspondence. Each one is explained in full.

* Jigme Ugen, Explained: Dalai | Epstein Files, Jigme Epstein, 13 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 29.11 minutes.

Note that the majority of the emails in the Epstein Files have the name of the person he was corresponding with blacked out, so it is not known to the present writer if it was a friend, colleague, business contact or one of the girls he procured. Some of the content of the emails has also been blacked out, and this is indicated below by [X].

2012

* 21 October - two emails from between Epstein an a correspondent - possibly a young Ukranian woman - stating the following:

10.55am: Wow Omg! That's fast. I thought because Ukranian girls [X] not gonna see u for months )))))) sneaky dog [X] so sorry I wish I could come today but can I see u tomorrow after school please ?) [X] going now to the event w dalai lama then bday dinner w Anastasia, it is er Bday today

[Comment MO: His Holiness gave a public talk at the Lincoln Centre, New York on 21 October, and Epstein was most likely in the audience.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lincoln Centre, New York, 21 October 2012.

11.12am: [Epstein] You don't ask if I need help. I told you yesterday. I was home. I am very very angry. Talk to you later on work.

11.31am: Sorry for that didn't check my email since yesterday morning You know I dont have an Internet in my phone, why didn't u call me or text me in my phone if u need me? About the event I told u almost a month ago on island that dalai lama is coming and I want to go there to see him. But I can skip this event if u need my help today

11.37am: I did call. Go to event. This is bullshit.

2014

* 10 July - In an interview for The Daily Beast, journalist Michael Wolff states that he saw the Dalai Lama at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in 2014 (Coles 2025). This comment has never been corroborated and is highly suspect. It is possible it was another Tibetan monk, namely ......

2015

* 11 May - from Epstein to Soon Yi Previn, wife of film maker Woody Allen:

1.36pm: Im working on the dalai lama for dinner

Epstein was trying to use Woody Allen as bait in his attempt to get the Dalai Lama to dinner at his New York apartment. This never took place.

2016

* 20 February - an email to Epstein from "a student who runs a Dalai Lama centre" and referencing a visiting senior monk called Tenzin.

4.46pm: .... Also, Tenzin (Mother Theresa / Dalai Lama / Buddhist Monk) will be in town. [X] teaching my awareness class with him from 10AM. Would love for you to connect with him at some point.

[Comment MO: The visiting monk may have been the Dalai Lama's senior American representative at the time, Lama Tenzin Dhonden. He was replaced by His Holiness in November 2017 following a scandal associated with his close links to the NXIVM cult.]

2025

* 10 July - Joanna Coles, Interview with Michael Wolff [Dalai Lama reference extract], The Daily Beast, YouTube, 10 July 2025, duration: 1.13 minutes. Full podcast here.

Comment MO: When questioned by Coles, Wolff responds "Yeah, indeed" but immediately moves away from the comment and nothing more is said of it. To the present writer this suggests that there may be some lack of substance to the comment, especially when you look at Wolff's body language. Was this in fact a Buddhist monk referred to in the 2015 and 2016 emails regarding trying to organise a dinner with His Holiness?

* 5 August - Why was the Dalai Lama at Jeffrey Epstein's House [blog], Jacob Silverman, 5 August 2025. 

2026

* 5 February - YouTube commentator DrWeberSpeaks states that, according to the DOJ, the Dalai Lama visited Epstein's island 159 times. Five days later he retracts the statement, then states that he had dinner with Epstein on two occasions.

* 8 February - The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama releases the following statement:

Press Release

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 unequivically confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness's behalf.

8 February 2026

* Central Tibetan Administration, Central Tibetan Administration Rejects Unfounded Allegations of Meeting Between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Epstein, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala, India, 9 February 2026. Includes a 5 page analysis of the relevant documents, with the following conclusions:

• His Holiness the Dalai Lama never met with Jeffrey Epstein
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama never communicated with Jeffrey Epstein
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama has never accepted nor was ever aware of an invitation
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama appears only in third-party mentions
• All the references to His Holiness are often informal, speculative, or contextual and do not establish any interaction or relationship. 

* 13 February - Jigme Ugen, Explained: Dalai | Epstein Files, Jigme Epstein, 13 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 29.11 minutes. The most comprehensive account of the Epstein references.

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3. Discussion

Jeffrey Epstein was a sleazy blackmailer working for both private individuals and governments. Many people - powerful and not so powerful - got trapped in his web of deceit and sexual depravity. One such powerful figure who escaped his clutched was His Holiness the Dalia Lama. If we put aside the suspect comments by journalist Michael Wolff that he saw him together with Epstein, then the Epstein Files "evidence" is clear that whilst Epstein made efforts to connect with His Holiness, those efforts were not reciprocated? Was His Holiness and his administration aware of Epstein's pedophilia, sexual depravity, and corrupt blackmail operation? Very likely. If fact, Tibetan Buddhist monks may have become ensnared. As researchers dig deeper into the millions of pages of Epstein correspondence, more will, over time, be revealed.

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4. References

Coles, Joanna, Interview with Michael Wolff [Dalai Lama reference extract], The Daily Beast, YouTube, 10 July 2025, duration: 1.13 minutes.

Dalai Lama breaks silence On Epstein links after viral claims circulate on social media, Midday India, 8 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 3.17 minutes.

DrWeberSpeaks, Dalai Lama, Epstein 159 visits?, DrWeberSpeaks, 5 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 1.03 minutes.

-----, Epstein's Dalai Lama, The Truth, DrWeberSpeaks, 10 February, YouTube, duration: 2.08 minutes.

Epstein Files shocker: Dalai Lama’s name keeps appearing, His Office scrambles to 'Clarify', Entertainment Times, India, 8 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 6.14 minutes.

Peach, Justin, I used to trust spiritual leaders - until I saw this, Escape the Matrix, 8 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 22.32 minutes.

Ugen, Jigme, Explained: Dalai | Epstein Files, Jigme Epstein, 13 February 2026, YouTube, duration: 29.11 minutes.

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| Tibet & Tibetan Buddhist archive |

Last updated: 9 April 2026

Michael Organ, Australia