By Victor Fanuel
HARARE — Former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe’s personal fortune was allegedly managed by disgraced American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a confidential FBI source cited in newly released United States Department of Justice files.
The explosive claim, dated November 27, 2017, resurfaced following the publication of a fresh batch of Epstein-related documents in late January 2026, renewing global scrutiny over the late financier’s connections with prominent political figures.
The allegation positions Zimbabwe’s former leader alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin as high-profile individuals whose finances were purportedly handled by Epstein, years after the financier had been convicted in the United States for soliciting a minor.
The claim appears in FBI records classified as “Secret” and restricted from foreign nationals.
An unnamed confidential human source reportedly spoke to federal investigators in 2017, claiming Epstein managed Mugabe and Purim’s finances.
“Epstein was President Vladimir Putin’s wealth manager and provided the same service for former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.”
The documents were released by the US Department of Justice and subsequently reported by media outlets including the Daily Mail and People.
The source further alleged that Epstein amassed his fortune by helping elite clients conceal money from authorities.
“He made his money from charging his clients fees to hide their money offshore,” said the source.
However, no documentary evidence directly proving that Epstein managed Mugabe’s assets has been made public alongside the files.
The documents also reveal a network of communications suggesting Epstein maintained access to senior political figures well after his 2008 conviction in Florida.
Among the cited correspondence are emails regarding planned meetings with Vladimir Putin and interactions involving Russian officials and intermediaries.
One message, dated September 11, 2011, refers to an upcoming trip to Russia.
“You told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16,” the email reads.
Other communications hint at Epstein claiming links to Russian intelligence and boasting of “friends in the FSB”, Russia’s principal security agency.
One intelligence source described Epstein’s operations as: “The world’s largest honeytrap operation.”
It is important to note that these claims remain intelligence assessments rather than verified facts.
Robert Mugabe, who died in September 2019, ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years.
Persistent questions over the extent and location of his personal wealth have never been officially resolved.
The FBI source’s allegation adds a controversial new layer to these longstanding queries.
However, the released files do not indicate whether Mugabe ever met Epstein in person, nor do they provide specific timelines or transaction records.
All high-profile figures named in the documents have either denied wrongdoing or declined to comment publicly.
Jeffrey Epstein was an American multimillionaire financier whose reputation was destroyed by revelations of his sexual abuse of young girls and women.
He moved in elite circles, counting princes, presidents, and billionaires among his acquaintances, and owned private jets, a New York mansion, a Palm Beach estate, and Little St. James, a private Caribbean island.
Epstein’s crimes came to light through victim testimonies.
In 2008, he pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution and served 13 months in a lenient jail work-release programme.
A decade later, investigative reporting led to his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges.
Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in August 2019, with the official ruling recorded as suicide.
