Leon Black, the billionaire financier and co-founder of Apollo Global Management, walked out of a scheduled deposition on Wednesday in New York, where he was to be questioned under oath about his ties to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move came as British victims’ families renewed demands for a full inquiry into Epstein’s operations in the United Kingdom.
Black, who has previously acknowledged receiving “legal advice” from Epstein between 2004 and 2007, but denied any involvement in Epstein’s crimes, was ordered to testify as part of a civil lawsuit brought by a woman who claims Epstein trafficked her when she was a minor. The plaintiff’s lawyers said Black left the deposition after only a few hours, citing “personal reasons.” The irate families of British victims, who have been campaigning for a government-led investigation into Epstein’s network in London, described Black’s exit as a “stunt” and called for greater transparency.
Epstein, who died in a federal detention centre in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, maintained a residence in London and frequently travelled to the capital. Declassified flight logs show his private plane landed at Luton Airport on multiple occasions. Victims’ representatives argue that British authorities have failed to adequately probe the extent of Epstein’s activities in the country, including possible facilitation by prominent figures in finance and politics.
“This is yet another example of the powerful evading scrutiny,” said a spokesperson for the UK Epstein Survivors’ Group. “We demand that the British government launch a statutory inquiry, similar to the independent investigations already conducted in the United States. The families of British victims deserve to know the truth.”
The deposition, part of a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, was intended to examine Black’s interactions with Epstein and any knowledge he may have had of Epstein’s criminal enterprise. Black had fought to avoid giving testimony, but a judge ruled in January that he must sit for questioning. His abrupt departure has prompted the plaintiff’s legal team to seek sanctions.
A spokesman for Black did not respond to requests for comment. However, the financier has a reputation for a litigious approach to legal matters. In a statement issued after his previous deposition in a separate case, he said: “I have repeatedly and unequivocally stated that I had no knowledge of or involvement in Mr Epstein’s reprehensible conduct.”
Geopolitical analysts note that the growing pressure on figures like Black reflects a broader shift in public expectations around accountability for enablers of sexual exploitation. The Epstein case has become a flashpoint for debates about elite impunity, particularly in London and New York. Institutional integrity is at stake here. The refusal of some high-profile individuals to cooperate fully with legal processes risks eroding confidence in the justice system.
“The British establishment has been slow to reckon with the possibility that Epstein operated with local complicity,” said a former diplomat with knowledge of the case. “The families’ demand for a public inquiry is gaining traction because it offers the only credible path to a comprehensive understanding of what happened.”
Black’s walkout is expected to feature in the ongoing civil proceedings, which may proceed to trial later this year. For the British victims’ families, the moment represents a test of whether the transatlantic legal system can deliver accountability where diplomacy and internal inquiries have faltered. The answer, so far, remains unfinished.
