Jeffrey Epstein Offered "Swedish Blonde", Anil Ambani Replied "Arrange That": Report

Jeffrey Epstein's sphere of influence among businessmen, politicians and academics also reached India, with the disgraced financier spending years cultivating a relationship with a scion of the nation's wealthiest family, according to a trove of documents released by the US Justice Department.

Epstein's messages with the once-influential Indian businessman Anil Ambani stretch from early 2017 through 2019, the documents show, just months before federal prosecutors charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors. The two men talked about world affairs, business and women, and made plans to meet in person. In 2017, Epstein also placed orders for several books about the storied Ambani family.

"Who do u suggest," Ambani wrote in one message dated March 9 of that year. 

Epstein's reply: "a tall swedish blonde woman , to make it fun to visit."

"Arrange that," Ambani responded less than 20 seconds later.

Text messages between Ambani and a phone number associated with Epstein also show them discussing getting together in Paris later that year - but missing each other - and chatting about the reaction to Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2018, according to the documents. 

When Ambani said he planned to be in New York in May 2019, Epstein replied with an invitation to visit. "And if there are some people you would like to meet quietly. Let me know," Epstein wrote. Assistants confirmed a meeting between the two men at Epstein's home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the documents show.

A representative for Ambani declined to comment.

The latest cache of messages shed further light on the sweeping business and social ties Epstein maintained for years after he pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to procurement of minors for prostitution. He continued to enjoy access to some of the world's wealthiest people along with a luxurious lifestyle until he was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019, dying by apparent suicide while in custody.

A broader reckoning over the prominent figures Epstein befriended is engulfing Wall Street, Washington and the legal community. But his network sprawled beyond the US. 

The digital books that Epstein ordered on March 4, 2017 - including Ambani & Sons and Storms in the Sea Wind: Ambani Vs Ambani, according to thousands of emails obtained earlier by Bloomberg News - may have offered him a glimpse into the family's rancorous history and elite status. 

Anil Ambani, 66, and his brother Mukesh, 68, feuded over the family's business empire after their father, Dhirubhai, died in 2002, ultimately deciding to divvy it up. Anil is chairman of Reliance Group, which operates in India's infrastructure and power sectors. Mukesh Ambani - Asia's richest man - controls Reliance Industries Ltd., with businesses spanning oil refining, petrochemicals, telecommunications, retail and media. He has a net worth of $98.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The brothers' fortunes have sharply diverged in the past decade. Anil Ambani, who was once a billionaire, has seen nearly all of his net worth wiped out in recent years. In 2019, he narrowly escaped a jail sentence when Mukesh stepped in last minute to make a court-mandated $80 million payment to a vendor who was suing Anil's telecom venture for unpaid dues, marking an extraordinary fall for the tycoon.

He continues to face scrutiny in his home country. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of India asked federal investigating agencies to speed up the probe into an alleged bank-loan fraud of 400 billion rupees ($4.4 billion) by Anil Ambani and his companies.

In the 2017 conversation with Ambani, Epstein asked about his preferences in women. The Indian mogul appeared to reference his links to Hollywood.

"is there an actress or model that represents your proclivity.?" Epstein wrote. "i hope not meryl streep. I will be of no help."

"Better taste myfriend," Ambani responded. "Our nxt movie is wth scarlett johansson." 

That year, the actress starred in Ghost in the Shell, a science fiction film co-produced by Reliance Entertainment.

"I am glad you prefer young blondes to old ones," Epstein replied.

The messages add to the portrait of how Epstein name-dropped himself from one connection to the next. In February 2017, Epstein asked the Indian-American new-age guru Deepak Chopra whether he knew Anil Ambani. Chopra said he did, jotting his impressions of Ambani and his family in a quick list: 

"V rich, V much wanting to be noticed, V celebrity conscious," Chopra said, adding, "Innumerable businesses" and "Brothers don't get along."

Epstein also asked businessman Tom Pritzker whether he was closer to Mukesh or Anil Ambani - "Don't really know either," Pritzker responded - and advised venture capitalist Peter Thiel to get to know Anil Ambani.

A representative for Pritzker declined to comment. Chopra and a representative for Thiel didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

After his scheduled meeting with Ambani in May 2019, Epstein sent him a message: "today was a treat, nice seeing you."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)