#Thomas #Barrack,
a longtime ally of Donald Trump
and U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria
maintained a close, personal relationship with #Jeffrey #Epstein
even after the financier’s criminal history became widely known,
the latest tranche of government files shows.
From 2002 to shortly before Epstein’s death in 2019,
according to an analysis of the documents by the Santa Barbara Independent,
the two men exchanged over 100 texts and emails that included social invitations, meetings with heads of state, and talk of business opportunities.
In September 2009, just two months after Epstein’s release from jail following his conviction for soliciting a minor,
Barrack wrote to him:
“Thinking about u___hope u r good and life is calm again.”
In January 2012, Barrack complimented Epstein on his work ethic, asking him,
“How is my role model?”
There is no indication, however, that Barrack participated in or had any knowledge of Epstein’s ongoing criminal activity.
Barrack, 78, is a billionaire real estate investor and currently serves as U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria.
He is the founder and owner of Happy Canyon Vineyard in California's Santa Ynez Valley.
Happy Canyon Vineyard did not respond to requests for comment.
Barrack previously purchased Michael Jackson’s #Neverland Ranch in 2008 and sold it in 2020.
For many years he lived part-time at a $24 million Montecito estate, though it is not clear if he still owns the Hot Springs Road home.
Happy Canyon Vineyard is part of Piocho Ranch, a sprawling valley property that Barrack and his family bought in 1992 and developed into a working winery and polo venue.
Barrack features prominently in a promotional video for the vineyard, where he discusses his stewardship of the land and a commitment to making it “better than when I found it.”
He credits God for “giving us this unbelievable appellation.”
According to the book "Fire and Fury" by journalist Michael Wolff, Trump, Barrack, and Epstein were close friends in the 1980s and ‘90s,
describing them as “a set of nightlife Musketeers.”
Barrack rose to public prominence in 2016 as a leading fundraiser for Trump, and has since become a close advisor to the president on Middle East matters.
https://www.independent.com/2026/02/27/santa-ynez-ranch-owner-and-trump-insider-called-jeffrey-epstein-a-first-class-human-being/
