Ezra Klein

I think you're overestimating Ted if you think Sergey Brin is at the bar.

Absolutely.

Because what they really need, what they don't have, are people they can trust with personal problems.

And they probably have a lot of personal problems at that level.

The connections are doing two things at once for Epstein.

One is he's able to use them transactionally.

They make being in relationship with him profitable for other people, but they also cross-subsidize him in credibility.

Yeah.

Epstein is taking out cash at a rhythm and in amounts, right?

That should flag investigations.

And so there ultimately are a series of internal fights at JPMorgan about whether or not to keep him.

And then he is eventually convicted for paying for sex with a minor.

And there are more fights about whether or not to keep him.

And J.P.

Morgan keeps working with him, keeps working with him.

And there's this amazing quote from Justin Nelson, Epstein's personal banker.

He prepares a memo, I'm quoting here from the Times piece, trumpeting Epstein's large volume of business with J.P.

Morgan and noting that despite his status as a sex offender, he was, quote, still clearly well-respected and trusted by some of the richest people in the world.

Yeah.

His network...