Leon Black talks Jeffrey Epstein

The Apollo Global founder “didn’t take it that seriously”

BY HENRY ABBOTT

Now free for all: a 2021 TrueHoop post about Leon Black—one of the richest men in the world, and the founder of Apollo Global. Black also appears in a second newly-free TrueHoop post, about Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon. 

Michael Milken and Leon Black at a 2021 fundraiser. JARED SISKIN/PATRICK McMULLAN/GETTY IMAGES

Leon Black paid Jeffrey Epstein $158 million. No one disputes that. Black says it was for tax advice.

Black founded Apollo Global, a private equity firm that’s an incredibly important source of NBA money. Apollo is where Adam Silver’s college roommate still works as a key executive. Born from the ashes of Michael Milken’s Drexel Burnham empire, Apollo has deep reach across sports, and spawned Josh Harris of the 76ers, Tony Ressler of the Hawks, and many others.

The big takeaway of the first now-free TrueHoop post is that Apollo’s in…