A partial picture of Jeffrey Epstein‘s private reading habits has emerged, offering an unsettling glimpse into the interests of the late financier at the centre of one of the biggest sex-trafficking scandals in modern history.
The details come from a Bloomberg investigation published in November 2025, which analysed nearly 18,000 emails recovered from Epstein’s personal Yahoo account. Among them were hundreds of Amazon receipts, revealing books he purchased between 2007 and 2019.
While buying a book does not confirm it was read, and some titles may have been gifts, the list has drawn attention for its breadth and timing.
A Wide, and Often Jarring, Mix of Books
According to reports, the purchases span mathematics, psychology, spirituality, sex, power, crime and politics. Early receipts show Epstein ordering books on advanced mathematics and probability, reflecting his past as a maths teacher.
Around the same period, he reportedly bought titles on religion and tantric sex, including several ordered on Christmas Eve in 2007.
From 2014 onward, the list becomes more eclectic. Epstein purchased books on espionage, fitness, wealth management and even immortality, including The Physics of Immortality. He also bought multiple copies of The Celebrity Assistant’s Handbook, alongside mainstream fiction such as The Rosie Project.
In later years, darker themes appear repeatedly. Epstein ordered books on narcissism, white-collar crime, and psychological disorders. Around 2017, near Donald Trump‘s inauguration, he bought several academic works on pathological narcissism.
Trump Books and Power Politics
Epstein’s interest in Donald Trump is visible across multiple years. After the 2016 election, he purchased several high-profile Trump biographies and exposés, including Bob Woodward’s Fear and Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury.
Emails show Epstein sharing Wolff’s work approvingly, fuelling renewed scrutiny of his ties to powerful figures.
He also bought books on global intelligence agencies, the Panama Papers, and political influence, adding to the picture of a man deeply focused on power structures and those who control them.
Repeated Purchases That Raised Alarms
Perhaps the most disturbing pattern involves Epstein’s repeated purchases of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.
Records show he bought multiple editions over the years, including annotated versions. His final known Kindle purchases in 2019 included The Annotated Lolita and philosophical works by Nietzsche, just months before his death in custody.
The December 2025 release of additional documents by the Department of Justice confirmed more than 1,000 Amazon receipts from 2014 to 2019, reinforcing the trends already identified by journalists. The disclosures also revealed other unsettling titles, including books on Western tantra and biographies of infamous historical figures.
Authors React to the Discovery
Several authors whose books appeared on the list were contacted by reporters and expressed unease. Some described shock at learning their work was linked to Epstein, while others declined to speculate on his motivations.
None suggested their writing had any connection to his crimes.
Furthermore, the reading list is not complete. There is a notable gap between 2008 and 2013, the period covering Epstein’s Florida plea deal and imprisonment, and no full inventory of his digital library has been made public.
However, the material that has surfaced adds another layer to the ongoing examination of Epstein’s life, not as proof of intent or behaviour, but as a window into the ideas and obsessions he surrounded himself with, right up until the end.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
