Epstein recording alleges Blair received 'gigantic' sums for consultancy, Al Jazeera reports

A recorded conversation between the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak alleges that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair received “gigantic” sums for consultancy work after leaving office. The audio, released last week by the U.S. Justice Department as part of the latest Epstein document disclosure, features the two men discussing how ex-politicians monetize their influence.

Details of the Discussion

In the exchange, Barak mentions Blair reportedly earning “probably $11m per year from the Kazakhstan government just to give them advice, to help them with lobbying.” Epstein responds by stating he had heard “gigantic numbers given to Tony – $5m here, $10m here, $5m there,” but estimates Blair’s actual annual income at around $10 million. Barak suggests some funds may have been paid to intermediaries.

Blair’s Office Response

A spokesperson for Tony Blair told Al Jazeera that the figures were “rubbish” and that neither Epstein nor Barak had knowledge of Blair’s earnings. The spokesperson clarified that payments for work in Kazakhstan were made to Blair’s organization, not personally to him, and funded a team working on reform projects aligned with international institutions—not lobbying.

Context of the Recording

The recording is believed to date from early 2013. It is among thousands of pages of documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which have named numerous high-profile figures. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.