Connections Between Jeffrey Epstein and Electric Vehicle Startups Unveiled
Recent revelations from the Justice Department’s release of documents pertaining to the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have unveiled substantial ties between him and entities in Silicon Valley, particularly within the electric vehicle (EV) sector.
The documents outline how the elusive entrepreneur David Stern fostered relationships with Epstein, advocating for investments in several prominent EV ventures, such as Faraday Future, Lucid Motors, and Canoo.
In a fresh episode of the podcast, Kirsten Korosek, alongside a trio of investigative authors, discussed their findings from this inquiry and pondered the potential ramifications of these disclosures within the broader Silicon Valley ecosystem. Below is a concise excerpt from their conversation.
“There are always individuals lurking on the peripheries, reluctant to step into the limelight of the investment arena. This intrigue prompted me to explore these files, given that, a decade ago, my field witnessed a surge of Chinese investments in this particular domain.”– Sean O’Keane
Significant Insights from Epstein Documents on EV Startups
Notably, Canoo, which subsequently filed for bankruptcy, possessed an exceptionally clandestine array of investors; this information remained obscured at the company’s inception in 2018 and only emerged following legal disputes among its executives.
The documents further reference a German business associate connected to Canoo, who reportedly had close affiliations with Epstein.
Additionally, they mention the son-in-law of a former senior official of the Chinese Communist Party under the previous regime, as well as a major electronics tycoon from Taiwan. Crucially, David Stern is highlighted as a co-founder-investor of Canoo, his profile shrouded in mystery.
Correspondence suggests that Stern first engaged with Epstein in 2008, initially reaching out with the proposition of investing in China, leading to an evolving proximity to Epstein over the years.
Kirsten Korosek underscores the importance of analyzing these declassified materials, asserting that they enable a reevaluation of established beliefs regarding the evolution of deals and illuminate the roles of lesser-known players during that era.
This dossier significantly enhances our comprehension of how variances in transparency—or its stark absence—in investments and the dynamics of both overt and covert connections sculpted the Silicon Valley landscape, thereby influencing the trajectory of electric vehicle startups as the new decade commenced.
Source link: Mezha.net.
