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Who is Peter Mandelson? British Ambassador to the US called Epstein his "best pal" in a letter released as part of an alleged "birthday book"

With his deeply political roots and career, it is no surprise that Peter Mandelson knew Jeffrey Epstein. But was the British politician close to the financier? His alleged birthday letter certainly suggests it.
posted by Akanksha Mishra
Tuesday 9/9/2025 at 3:45AM EDT
  • LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Lord Mandelson delivers a keynote speech during an event hosted by the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign on March 1, 2016 in London, England. The Britain Stronger In Europe lobbying group is currently campaigning to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union ahead of the referendum on June 23rd. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)
    LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Lord Mandelson delivers a keynote speech during an event hosted by the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign on March 1, 2016 in London, England. The Britain Stronger In Europe lobbying group is currently campaigning to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union ahead of the referendum on June 23rd. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

    Some of the recently uncovered files from Jeffrey Epstein's alleged "birthday book" appear to have a letter from Peter Mandelson, the current UK ambassador to the US.

    In the letter, which was written as a message to Epstein's 50th birthday (in 2003), Lord Mandelson referred to the convicted child trafficker as his "best pal". The letter was first uncovered and published by the Wall Street Journal in July 2025.

    However, a spokesperson for the ambassador has since addressed it, telling the BBC:

    "Lord Mandelson has long been clear that he very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein."

    According to Britannica, Peter Mandelson was born on October 21, 1953, and had an early inclination towards politics, with his maternal grandfather, Herbert Morrison, serving as the deputy prime minister when the Labour Party ran the UK government between 1945-1951. 

    Mandelson himself joined the Labour Party soon after graduating from college. By 1979, he had become a committed Labour Party moderate. 

    Peter Mandelson has been serving as the British Ambassador to the US since February 2025. Before this, he was the First Secretary to PM Gordon Brown (2009-2010). He has also been a part of the British House of Commons for 12 years (between 1992 and 2004). 

    Peter Mandelson's letter to Jeffrey Epstein isn't his first link with the late financier. Six years ago (in 2019), JP Morgan published a report that claimed that the British politician was living in Epstein's New York flat in 2009. 

    The latter was incarcerated at the time, serving an 18-month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to charges of procuring a minor for prostitution, Sky News reports. 

    ​

    Peter Mandelson called Jeffrey Epstein a "sharp-witted man" in his letter

    According to Sky News, Lord Mandelson's letter opens with calling the late child trafficker "an intelligent, sharp-witted man". 

    The former cabinet minister then goes on to elaborate how the financier would occasionally "parachute" into his life and take him by surprise to far off places and even "one of his glorious homes".

    His letter concludes with:

    "But wherever he is in the world, he remains my best pal! Happy birthday, Jeffrey we love you!​!"

    Alongside the letter, there's a picture of Mandelson and his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, smiling in a boat. Both the picture and the letter indicate that Peter and Jeffrey happened to be quite close at some point.

    In an earlier interview with Sky News about Epstein (published in May 2023), Lord Mandelson said about the late convict:

    "I'm not answering any questions about him. My knowledge of him is something I regret, I wish I'd never met him in the first place."

    BBC reports that Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend and co-conspirator, Maxwell Ghislaine, was the one who put together his alleged "birthday book". The book is dated from 2003, three years before Epstein was first indicted over s*xual abuse allegations in 2006.

    TOPICS: Peter Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein