(December 13, 2025)

Yesterday, at the White House, Leon Black’s 40-year-old son Ben was sworn in by J. D. Vance as C.E.O. of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. For Black, the billionaire co-founder of private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, the swearing-in was a proud moment. But given that he is currently under investigation by Senator Ron Wyden for the millions that he paid the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein—allegedly for tax- and estate-planning services—and that Congress recently compelled the Department of Justice to release its remaining Epstein files, his son’s appointment to such a powerful post comes at a particularly fraught time.