Epstein Files: Late Hong Kong socialite David Tang asked Ghislaine Maxwell to fund a celebrity reputation startup
Shanghai Tang’s founder, Sir David Tang, conducted business dealings with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and confidant of the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to filings released by the US government.
The Hong Kong social entrepreneur exchanged emails with Maxwell in 2010 to discuss her investment in correcta startup founded to give the rich and powerful a platform to respond to online slurs and rumors.
Short-lived Take riskswas launched the following year criticize Because there is no verification or evaluation process.
Tang died in 2017 of liver cancer, while the disgraced Epstein – an American financier, serial rapist and human trafficker – was found dead in his prison cell in 2019 in an apparent suicide. Maxwell, a convicted associate of Epstein, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Epstein Files: Hong Kong socialite David Tang sought money from Ghislaine Maxwell for ‘online celebrity reputation…’ by HKFP
In a 2010 email to Maxwell, Tang revealed that she had invested US$145,000 in the soon-to-be-launched company.
However, he told her that he needed “about $1 million to launch the company in July.”
Tang called on Maxwell to increase the investment by US$211,700 to avoid diluting her stake while bringing in other funds.
Icorrect charged celebrities $1,000 per year. The social entrepreneur defended the website’s viability and high entry prices for celebrities looking to sign up.
“I think people will pay this much for the service when ‘correct’ becomes as well-known as Google, Twitter or Facebook. But what’s much more important is that this is a business model that will generate good cash flow,” Tang wrote.
Among the famous faces who joined the list after the launch of iCorrect are Cherie Blair, Sir John Bond, Jemima Khan, Sienna Miller, Zac Goldsmith, Niall Ferguson, Stephen Fry and Naomi Campbell.
Further emails exchanged in 2010 show Maxwell consulting Epstein and deciding to sell her stake: “I think David has no prayer of monetizing the company. Or getting it to do anything. I don’t think what I’ve seen can change the playing field for people – only patch-related SEO is what can be done in the day of Twitter, Facebook etc – the business plan is just a joke and I think it’s better to do without it,” I wrote to him on August 18. 2010.
She added that she was nervous about being sued, despite her lack of control over the company, and was skeptical about the US$1 million salary Tang was giving himself: “I know we’re all friends but I still like to really understand and be comfortable with all the things I’m signing today…”
In his response, hours later, Epstein told Maxwell: “Yes, he is Chinese, and he seems only interested in making money for David. Your comments were perfect. And well articulated.”
Maxwell then agreed to withdraw the initial investment.
It remains unclear whether any of Maxwell’s money came from Epstein.
Social links
Tang was among Epstein’s contacts kept in his “little black book,” in which his name appears on page 52, according to the released files.
Both Epstein and Maxwell attended a party in the clothing mogul’s honor at The Canteen restaurant in London in June 1997, according to Getty Images archives.
In a 2012 interview with the British newspaper The Standard, Tang motive Prince Andrew’s then-friendship with Epstein, after the sex offender’s first arrest in 2008: ‘If you’re friends with someone and that friend is in trouble, don’t just leave them.’
In the years before his death, Tang involved In a lawsuit in which he was accused of transferring money from his company to his private account to finance his lifestyle. Legal issues continued for years after his death.
Last November, amid domestic political pressure, US President Donald Trump ordered the US Department of Justice (DOJ). He releases Files related to the Epstein case. As of early February, more than 3 million pages of documents have been released, with some content redacted. Democratic lawmakers did accused The Justice Department failed to release nearly 50 percent of the records, saying some redactions related to Trump.
