. According to a settlement document obtained by CNN, Black agreed in January to pay the Virgin Islands government $62.5 million in cash. In exchange, the Virgin Islands released Black from any current and future legal claims related to Jeffrey Epstein. The news was first reported by the New York Times. A portion of Black’s cash payment – $15 million – will be established as a trust fund to sponsor projects such as counseling programs and mental health services, according to the document.
A 2021 independent investigation into Black’s connection to Epstein — commissioned by Apollo Global Management, the private equity company co-founded by Black in 1990 — found no evidence that Mr. Black was involved in any way with Mr. Epstein’s criminal activities at any time. However, the probe did find that Black’s payments to Epstein totaled $158 million between 2012 and 2017.