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Billionaire Leon Black defends $158M paid to Epstein: 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
Summary by The Pearland Editorial Desk AP , as published by ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC)
· June 26, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC) · view original
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Pearland Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page AP, as published by ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC) Original story Read at the source Source published Jun 26, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway Leon Black paid Epstein $158 million over the course of their yearslong association.
A billionaire investor has spoken out about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Leon Black paid Epstein $158 million over the course of their yearslong association. Black has defended these payments, stating that he was deceived by Epstein.
He claims to have known a different side of Epstein than the one that has been widely reported. Further details about Black's relationship with Epstein are available from ABC13 Houston. The news outlet has more information on the situation, including Black's comments about his interactions with the disgraced financier.
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About this story
As published by ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC) . The Pearland surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local Published: June 26, 2026 Source: ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A billionaire investor has spoken out about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Leon Black paid Epstein $158 million over the course of their yearslong association. Black has defended these…
When was this published? This article was first published on June 26, 2026 by ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC) and curated for The Pearland readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by AP at ABC13 Houston (KTRK - ABC). To learn more about how The Pearland selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Pearland, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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