Canada’s Elite Kept Epstein’s Circle Spinning Long After His Crimes Were Known

Jeffrey Epstein’s web of corruption and abuse extended far beyond the United States, ensnaring influential Canadians who maintained ties with the disgraced financier even after his 2008 conviction for sex crimes involving minors. The revelations demand urgent scrutiny of Canada’s own complicity in shielding Epstein’s network from accountability.

Epstein’s modus operandi was clear: he traded access to underage girls for favors and connections among the global elite. Court documents and investigative reports show that his reach included Canadian figures who, despite knowing the extent of his crimes, continued to engage with him for business and social gain.

One striking example is Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, former CEO of DP World, a company managing key Canadian port operations. His professional and personal relationship with Epstein persisted well after the financier’s conviction, involving discussions about business ventures and disturbing references to a “torture video.” Sulayem only resigned following pressure from major Canadian and British investment agencies, highlighting how financial interests often trump moral accountability.

The scientific community also wasn’t immune. Canadian-American physicist Lee Smolin maintained contact with Epstein years after the latter’s conviction, even planning meetings as late as 2011. Smolin’s apparent indifference to Epstein’s abuse, focusing instead on the financier’s confinement, underscores a troubling willingness among some elites to overlook egregious wrongdoing for personal or professional benefit.

These cases are not isolated. Epstein’s 2014 visit to a Vancouver TED conference, despite legal restrictions barring him as a registered sex offender, signals a broader failure of Canadian institutions to enforce accountability. The reluctance to confront figures like Prince Andrew, who has Canadian ties and was implicated in trafficking allegations, further reflects this pattern of protection and silence.

Canada’s elite have long been intertwined with Epstein’s transnational network, prioritizing business and prestige over justice for survivors. It’s time to stop looking away and start demanding transparency and accountability within our own borders. The Epstein files are not just an American scandal—they reveal a global system of elite impunity that Canada must confront head-on.