Maria Drokova
Venture capitalist; founder and managing partner of Day One Ventures; former press secretary of the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth movement
Maria Drokova — Venture capitalist; founder and managing partner of Day One Ventures; former press secretary of the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth movement — is named in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein files. DOJ-released Epstein files document that Drokova — the San Francisco-based venture capitalist who founded Day One Ventures and is publicly known as Masha Bucher — appears more than 1,600 times in the released documents. She served as Epstein's informal publicist for approximately two years from 2017 until shortly before his July 2019 arrest, pitching him to journalists at Forbes, Business Insider, and Nature and connecting him with technology founders including Bryan Johnson; a 2019 Science article had previously identified her by her maiden name as his publicist. DOJ-released Skype chat logs document their exchanges from 2017 to 2019. Financial transactions documented in the files include a $1,750 Prada handbag, a $7,000 Four Seasons hotel stay, and a $25,000 cash payment from Epstein. A 2019 email from Drokova to Epstein reads: "I would never create my fund without the ideas and knowledge you shared with me." Before relocating to the United States she served as a federal commissioner and spokesperson of the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth movement in Russia from 2007 to 2011; she later founded Day One Ventures, which now manages approximately $600 million invested across technology sectors including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Following the January 2026 file release she publicly acknowledged the relationship, described herself as "naive," and stated: "I now see clearly how profoundly dark and evil he was — a master manipulator." No wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's crimes is alleged against her. This profile is auto-generated from public reporting and is pending editorial review; inclusion does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.
Maria Drokova in the Epstein Files — By the Numbers
Topics Covered
Auto-generated profile pending review. This entry was compiled from public reporting because Maria Drokova is named in connection with the Epstein files. It has not yet been editorially expanded.
Is Maria Drokova in the Epstein files?
Yes. Maria Drokova (Venture capitalist; founder and managing partner of Day One Ventures; former press secretary of the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth movement) is named in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein files. DOJ-released Epstein files document that Drokova — the San Francisco-based venture capitalist who founded Day One Ventures and is publicly known as Masha Bucher — appears more than 1,600 times in the released documents. She served as Epstein’s informal publicist for approximately two years from 2017 until shortly before his July 2019 arrest, pitching him to journalists at Forbes, Business Insider, and Nature and connecting him with technology founders including Bryan Johnson; a 2019 Science article had previously identified her by her maiden name as his publicist. DOJ-released Skype chat logs document their exchanges from 2017 to 2019. Financial transactions documented in the files include a $1,750 Prada handbag, a $7,000 Four Seasons hotel stay, and a $25,000 cash payment from Epstein. A 2019 email from Drokova to Epstein reads: “I would never create my fund without the ideas and knowledge you shared with me.” Before relocating to the United States she served as a federal commissioner and spokesperson of the pro-Kremlin Nashi youth movement in Russia from 2007 to 2011; she later founded Day One Ventures, which now manages approximately $600 million invested across technology sectors including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Following the January 2026 file release she publicly acknowledged the relationship, described herself as “naive,” and stated: “I now see clearly how profoundly dark and evil he was — a master manipulator.” No wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s crimes is alleged against her.
Being named in the files is not evidence of any crime or wrongdoing. People appear in these documents in many contexts — correspondence, flight logs, contact books, scheduling, photographs, or passing references. See the sources below for the specific, documented context, and the note at the bottom of this page.
Connections
View in network →People most often named alongside Maria Drokova in coverage, plus documented connections. Counts reflect shared articles, not verified relationships.