Freshly released U.S. Justice Department documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein are revealing previously underreported connections between the disgraced financier and Silicon Valley’s electric vehicle boom, according to TechCrunch.

In a report by TechCrunch’s Sean O’Kane, the files show that a little-known businessman, David Stern, maintained a years-long relationship with Epstein while pitching him investments in several high-profile EV startups, including Faraday Future, Lucid Motors and Canoo.

The findings were discussed on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, where O’Kane explained that Stern first approached Epstein in 2008 — the same year Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor — seeking backing for China-related investments. Over time, emails show Stern presenting opportunities tied to the fast-growing U.S. EV sector.

At the time, Silicon Valley was experiencing a surge of Chinese investment in mobility startups. Lucid Motors, then pivoting from battery supplier to EV manufacturer, was struggling to close a crucial funding round. According to the emails reviewed by TechCrunch, Stern asked Epstein to gather information from Morgan Stanley about Lucid’s fundraising, weighing whether to acquire a discounted stake and potentially flip it if a larger automaker moved in.

While Epstein ultimately did not invest in Faraday Future, Lucid, or Canoo, the correspondence suggests a focus on short-term financial gain rather than long-term company building. Stern did later invest in Canoo, which has since filed for bankruptcy.

TechCrunch notes that much of the communication occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, raising renewed questions about how investors and intermediaries weighed reputational risk during a period of intense capital flows into electric vehicle startups.

Whether the disclosures lead to broader fallout in Silicon Valley remains unclear, but the documents offer a rare look at opaque dealmaking networks during a formative period for the EV industry.

Material by Veronika Atanasova

Image: „Epstein 2013 mugshot“, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain (State of Florida)

Image: San Jose and Silicon Valley Skyline Oct 2017, Author: Tom Pavel