Peter Thiel has gone from reclusive billionaire to high-profile political overlord. Hundreds of emails show that that journey was encouraged and facilitated by ... Jeffrey Epstein. Among the millions of Epstein-related documents released by the Department of Justice so far are hundreds of email exchanges between Epstein and Thiel that show the deep, symbiotic friendship between the two men. In return for Epstein's favors and tax advice, Thiel provided investment insights and served as something of a reputational shield. When Thiel expressed a growing interest in geopolitics, Epstein encouraged his curiosity, setting up meetings with officials and political power players at home and abroad. After Thiel became part of the 2016 Trump campaign, Epstein urged him to grow his influence within Trumpworld and advised him on how to do it. As with his friendship with former Trump mastermind Steve Bannon, Epstein's emails with Thiel show the late billionaire's knack for ingratiating himself with the powerful and influential, particularly those who might have sway in the White House of his former "closest friend," Trump. Thiel and Epstein exchanged constant emails, regularly met and talked on the phone, collaborated on business ventures, and discussed everything from politics and science to investment possibilities " as in one now-notorious email exchange about Brexit, in which Epstein seemed to revel in the "return to tribalism" and "collapse" that it heralded.