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The name of the late South African hospitality tycoon Sol Kerzner has appeared in a newly released tranche of United States Department of Justice files connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, casting a renewed spotlight on the late billionaire’s past professional and social circles.
The release, made public on January 31, 2026, forms part of the most extensive disclosure yet of documents, emails and records linked to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Among millions of pages of material are email exchanges and contact records indicating that Kerzner, the founder of Southern Sun Hotels, Sun International and Kerzner International, was known to Epstein and had at least limited interactions with him more than a decade ago.
There is no allegation of criminal conduct against Kerzner, and his inclusion in the files does not imply wrongdoing. The documents simply indicate that a connection existed.
Emails Point to Meetings and Follow-Up Attempts
According to the released correspondence, Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell met Kerzner around 2010. One email originating from Epstein’s account states that both Epstein and Maxwell had met Sol Kerzner, alongside other individuals whose names are partially redacted.
Another message references earlier indirect contact, suggesting Kerzner’s first connection to Epstein may have come through David and Cathy Lurie in the 1980s.
Further email threads show that Kerzner attempted to arrange a follow-up meeting with Epstein in July 2010 through his assistant, Ian Douglas. While Epstein was reportedly not in New York at the time, the correspondence indicates that telephone conversations between the two men may have taken place.
In one message, Epstein wrote: “I spoke to Sol on the phone.”
The exchanges also suggest that Dubai-based logistics executive Sultan Bin Sulayem, the chief executive of DP World, acted as a mutual link between Epstein and Kerzner.
Beyond personal contact, the files indicate that Epstein was a paying guest at several high-profile properties owned by Kerzner International.
Emails from Epstein’s assistant, Lesley Groff, show that Epstein and Groff visited Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas and expressed strong satisfaction with the resort. Additional documents reveal bookings at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai and stay at the One&Only hotel in Dubai, both part of Kerzner’s global luxury portfolio.
These records suggest that Epstein was a regular customer of Kerzner-owned hotels, adding a commercial dimension to their documented link.
Kerzner’s name also appears in Epstein’s personal address book, sometimes referred to as his “little black book,” further indicating that Epstein maintained Kerzner as a contact.
