Tom Barrack

Tom Barrack is an American investor who founded the real estate private-equity firm Colony Capital in 1990. The firm rebranded as DigitalBridge in 2021 after selling most of its non-digital assets to Fortress Investment Group; under successor leadership, DigitalBridge reported roughly $106 billion in assets under management as of mid-2025. A longtime confidant of Donald Trump, Barrack served as chairman of the 2017 presidential inaugural committee, for which he raised over $100 million — doubling the previous record. He later served as U.S. ambassador to Turkey and as a U.S. special envoy.

Appearance in the Epstein Files

Documents released under the Epstein Transparency Act in February 2026 identified Barrack as having extensive contact with Jeffrey Epstein. A CBS News analysis of more than 100 texts and email exchanges in the released Justice Department records found that Barrack “was in regular, close contact with Jeffrey Epstein for years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.”

According to CBS News, the correspondence spans from at least 2002 through 2018 and includes invitations to private residences, mutual introductions to diplomats and investors, and discussions of business opportunities. CBS reported that Epstein facilitated introductions for Barrack to figures including Peter Thiel and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, and that Epstein purchased roughly $1 million in Colony Capital stock in 2016. Reporting on the released files notes that, by the early 2000s, Barrack and Epstein had business ties to the Middle East and invited each other, introduced each other to diplomats and investors, and discussed business opportunities.

CBS News stated there is “no evidence to suggest Barrack participated in or had knowledge of any ongoing criminal conduct by Epstein.” CBS said it reached out to Barrack for comment and had not received a response as of publication.

Prior Legal Issues

Barrack was indicted on July 20, 2021, on federal charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to the FBI. He was found not guilty on all counts on November 4, 2022. That case is unrelated to the Epstein file references.

Political Significance

Barrack’s appearance in the Epstein files drew attention because of his close ties to Trump. As chairman of the 2017 inaugural committee, a longtime adviser, and a sitting U.S. diplomat, he is among the higher-profile Trump associates named in the documents.

Ongoing Position

Several figures named in the February 2026 release stepped down within days. Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler resigned on February 12, 2026, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned as chief executive and chairman of Dubai’s DP World on February 13, 2026, both over their disclosed ties to Epstein. As of the February 2026 reporting, Barrack had not resigned and continued to serve as U.S. ambassador to Turkey and as a U.S. special envoy.

Documents

Primary-source records that reference Tom Barrack. Inclusion in these documents is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing; CBS News found no evidence that Barrack participated in or had knowledge of any criminal conduct by Epstein, and he has not been charged.

• House Oversight Committee — Epstein email correspondence release (Nov. 2025) — Barrack appears in Epstein’s correspondence among the records made public in the 2025–2026 disclosures. A CBS News analysis of more than 100 texts and email exchanges found Barrack “was in regular, close contact with Jeffrey Epstein for years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction,” spanning roughly 2002 through 2018, including mutual introductions to diplomats and investors and discussions of business opportunities.
• DOJ Epstein Files (full EFTA release portal) — Barrack’s correspondence with Epstein forms part of the broader body of Epstein records released by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act in February 2026.