Austin Figures Peter Attia, Elon Musk Named in Epstein Files

Austin-based physician and longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia is facing public backlash after his name appeared repeatedly in newly released court records tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Attia is one of several Austin figures—including Elon Musk—whose name appeared in the files.

Last Friday, the United States Department of Justice released a batch of material from the investigation into Epstein. Attia’s name was mentioned over 1,700 times in the documents.

Why is Peter Attia mentioned in the Epstein files?

The newly released records include emails between Epstein and several high-profile figures, including Attia. One 2016 message from Attia to Epstein referenced female genitalia as "indeed, low carb."

"I apologize and regret putting myself in a position where emails, some of them embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible, are now public, and that is on me," Attia wrote in a statement on X.

Inclusion in the Epstein files does not imply criminal wrongdoing, and the records do not accuse Attia of participating in sexual abuse.

How did Peter Attia respond to the Epstein files?

According to Attia, he was not involved in any criminal activity, was never on Epstein's plane or island and that none of interactions with Epstein had anything to do with sexual abuse.

Attia said he bears responsibility for putting himself in a position where embarrassing emails with Epstein became public, but said he was never involved in and never witnessed sexual crimes. He described a limited, professional relationship centered on science and fundraising, saying he met Epstein several times in New York between 2014 and 2019, never traveled with him and was not his doctor.

"The man I am today, roughly 10 years later, would not write them and would not associate with Epstein at all," Attia said. "Whatever growth I’ve had over the past decade does not erase the emails I wrote then."

Did Peter Attia get any backlash?

After Peter Attia appeared in the latest batch of released Epstein documents, several companies and media partners quietly distanced themselves from him.

Attia stepped down from his role as chief science officer at David Protein, a protein-bar company he invested in and helped promote. Another supplements company, AG1, dropped him as a scientific adviser after the files surfaced, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Attia was also removed from the scientific advisory board page of Eight Sleep, a high-profile sleep-technology company where he had been listed as an adviser since 2024. Eight Sleep did not immediately responded to requests for comment, and it remains unclear exactly when the change was made.

Has anyone continued to support Peter Attia?

Some have refused to sever ties with Attia.

Attia was among the 19 contributors named by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss when she addressed staff about her future plans for the network on Jan. 28, just days before his name appeared in the latest batch of Epstein-related documents, according to the Los Angeles Times.

While Attia has stepped away from roles at several health and nutrition companies and a previously aired 60 Minutes segment featuring him was pulled from rebroadcast, CBS leadership has resisted calls to sever ties, viewing the backlash as part of a broader "cancel culture" moment, the Los Angeles Times wrote.

Who is Peter Attia?

Attia is Stanford-trained physician best known for his work in longevity medicine and preventative health.

After medical school, Attia trained for five years in general surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and spent two years as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma.

He went on to co-found the Nutrition Science Initiative, a non-profit aimed at improving the quality of nutrition research and addressing obesity and metabolic disease.

Elon Musk, Joe Rogan among other Austinites named in Epstein files

The records show Elon Musk had more contact with Jeffrey Epstein than previously disclosed, including years of friendly email exchanges beginning in 2012 that touched on holiday plans, parties, work stress and visits to SpaceX facilities, even as Musk later said he declined invitations to Epstein’s island and plane.

Joe Rogan was mentioned in passing, though none of those instances were in relation to sexual or illegal content, and no direct communications Rogan and Epstein took place.

The documents show Epstein unsuccessfully attempting to get an introduction to Rogan through physicist Lawrence Krauss after Krauss appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience in 2017.

Krauss later told Epstein that Rogan "seems more timid than I would have thought." and no meeting or correspondence between Rogan and Epstein occurred. Other mentions involving Rogan are limited to Epstein’s personal interest in UFC events.