Sleuth Report; Ted Waitt, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the Seven Year Connection
Overview
The April 30, 2026 House Oversight Committee interview of Theodore William “Ted” Waitt represents the first known instance in which Ghislaine Maxwell’s longtime romantic partner answered questions from investigators on the record regarding his relationship with Maxwell and his limited interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. The interview was conducted voluntarily and followed the release of extensive records through the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Waitt, the billionaire cofounder of Gateway Computers and founder of Avalon Capital Group, dated Maxwell from approximately early 2004 until September 2010. During that period Maxwell lived between New York, London, Palm Beach, and La Jolla while maintaining continuing ties to Epstein. Records reviewed by congressional investigators documented financial support from Waitt to Maxwell totaling millions of dollars, extensive travel, shared residences, and Maxwell’s involvement in staffing and household operations within Waitt’s personal life.
The testimony provides a unique window into Maxwell’s life during the years surrounding Epstein’s 2006 arrest, 2008 plea agreement, incarceration, work release period, and eventual return to public life.
Who Is Ted Waitt?
Ted Waitt cofounded Gateway 2000 in 1985 and later established Avalon Capital Group after leaving Gateway. During the period covered by the congressional investigation, Waitt was a billionaire investor based primarily in La Jolla, California. He also maintained extensive philanthropic activities through the Waitt Foundation and later the Waitt Institute.
Congressional investigators focused on Waitt because he was Maxwell’s longest publicly known romantic partner during the period when Epstein’s criminal exposure became public. Maxwell later described the relationship to federal investigators as a “very long term committed relationship.” Defense submissions during Maxwell’s criminal proceedings similarly portrayed the relationship as one that was moving toward marriage.
The Clinton Dinner That Started Everything
Waitt testified that he first met both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a dinner in Hong Kong in November 2003 attended by former President Bill Clinton. According to Waitt, he was invited by Doug Band after discovering Clinton was visiting Hong Kong while Waitt was traveling for business.
Waitt stated that Clinton, Epstein, and Maxwell were all present at the dinner. He recalled sitting next to Clinton and having little or no direct interaction with Epstein. He exchanged contact information with Maxwell, leading to a dinner in New York the following month and the beginning of a romantic relationship in early 2004.
The account is partially corroborated by Maxwell’s 2025 DOJ interview, in which she similarly stated that she met Waitt at a Clinton dinner and described him as attending specifically because of Clinton’s presence.
The Seven Year Relationship
Records reviewed by investigators show that Waitt and Maxwell maintained a close relationship from 2004 through September 2010. Hundreds of emails preserved within the Epstein Files document their personal communications. These messages include discussions about vacations, household staffing, travel, gifts, private aircraft arrangements, and everyday domestic life.
The emails show Maxwell helping Waitt recruit household staff, arrange personal services, coordinate travel, and manage various domestic matters. In many respects, the responsibilities mirrored the estate management role that Maxwell performed for Epstein.
Waitt testified that he split time between his La Jolla residence and Maxwell’s New York townhouse. Maxwell similarly spent extended periods at Waitt’s California residence and became integrated into his family life, including relationships with his four children.
The Financial Relationship
One of the most significant findings concerns the financial support Waitt provided to Maxwell.
Bank records reviewed by Congress documented recurring monthly wire transfers of $30,000 from Waitt to 116 East 65th Street LLC, the entity controlling Maxwell’s New York residence. These transfers continued from at least 2008 through 2010 and totaled approximately $720,000. Waitt testified that the payments represented his contribution toward Maxwell’s living expenses, staff, and household operations.
The most significant transaction occurred on September 24, 2010, when Waitt wired $7,211,238 directly to Maxwell’s account. Waitt described the payment as a “palimony settlement type thing” following the end of their relationship. According to his testimony, the figure reflected adjustments for gift tax considerations and was negotiated through advisors because he wished to avoid further direct contact with Maxwell.
Investigators also reviewed records showing Maxwell possessed an American Express subaccount linked to Waitt’s account until September 2010. Financial records show substantial travel and lifestyle expenses associated with the relationship.
The Avalon Aircraft and Travel Network
Aviation records preserved in the Epstein Files show Maxwell regularly traveled aboard Waitt’s Gulfstream V aircraft operated through Avalon Capital Group. One documented itinerary from June and July 2005 placed Waitt and Maxwell together on a multi stop journey involving Florida, the Bahamas, British Columbia, New York, and California.
The records establish that Maxwell had extensive access to Waitt’s aviation infrastructure and support systems. However, congressional investigators noted that the flight records do not place Waitt at Little Saint James, Zorro Ranch, or other known Epstein properties.
Waitt’s Four Claimed Interactions With Epstein
During his testimony, Waitt stated that he interacted with Epstein fewer than five times and identified four specific encounters.
The first was the Hong Kong dinner in November 2003.
The second was a meeting at Maxwell’s New York townhouse in early 2004 during which Epstein unexpectedly appeared and questioned Waitt about his investments.
The third was a brief street encounter in New York in which Epstein was accompanied by a young woman described as an Eastern European model.
The fourth was a short encounter in St. Barts involving Epstein and model agency executive Jean Luc Brunel.
Waitt characterized Epstein as off putting, arrogant, and someone whose purported investment returns seemed suspicious. He testified that he never developed a meaningful relationship with Epstein and that he actively discouraged Maxwell from maintaining close ties with him.
The FBI Tips That Went Nowhere
One of the most notable revelations from the witness brief involves two FBI National Threat Operations Center tips submitted after Maxwell’s 2020 arrest. Both tips specifically identified Waitt as someone investigators should interview.
One anonymous caller alleged that Waitt knew what was occurring within Maxwell’s operations and urged investigators to speak with him. Another tip suggested a relationship between Waitt and Epstein that extended beyond friendship. Neither allegation was independently corroborated and both remained uninvestigated.
Waitt testified that the FBI never contacted him and stated he would have cooperated had investigators requested an interview. Congressional investigators highlighted the lack of follow up as a broader institutional failure.
The Clinton Connection
The witness brief documents extensive connections between Waitt, Maxwell, and the Clinton orbit.
Waitt testified that he attended international trips with President Clinton and remained in periodic contact with him. Maxwell attended at least one Clinton related political gathering as Waitt’s guest and also attended Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in 2010 as his date.
Records cited by investigators suggest that Bill Clinton became acquainted with Maxwell through Waitt and that messages between Clinton and Maxwell were occasionally relayed through Waitt.
What The Committee Did Not Resolve
Despite the extensive interview, numerous questions remain unanswered.
Investigators did not fully explore why Epstein retained records concerning Waitt, the complete nature of Maxwell’s financial arrangements, or whether additional communications existed outside those already released.
Questions also remain regarding Maxwell’s role in staffing Waitt’s household, the origin of several unusual email references, the precise reason for the relationship’s collapse, and why federal investigators never interviewed Waitt despite receiving multiple tips identifying him as potentially relevant to their investigation.
Why This Matters
The Ted Waitt witness interview provides one of the most detailed public accounts of Ghislaine Maxwell’s life during the critical period surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s first criminal prosecution.
While investigators produced no evidence that Waitt participated in criminal conduct, the testimony establishes that Maxwell’s closest long term romantic partner financed much of her lifestyle, integrated her into his family, traveled extensively with her, and remained largely unexamined by law enforcement despite repeated references in investigative records.
The interview also highlights broader questions about investigative priorities, missed leads, and the extent to which important witnesses connected to Maxwell and Epstein were never formally interviewed.
Key Takeaways
- Ted Waitt dated Ghislaine Maxwell from approximately 2004 through 2010.
- Waitt testified that he met Maxwell and Epstein at a Bill Clinton dinner in Hong Kong in 2003.
- Records document approximately $720,000 in monthly support payments and a $7.21 million final settlement payment to Maxwell.
- Maxwell had access to Waitt’s aircraft, residences, staff, and financial resources.
- Waitt claimed only four interactions with Epstein across seven years.
- Two FBI tips specifically named Waitt but generated no known investigative follow up.
- Maxwell attended Clinton related events and Chelsea Clinton’s wedding as Waitt’s guest.
- Investigators found no evidence placing Waitt at Little Saint James or aboard Epstein aircraft.
- The witness interview represents the first on record examination of Maxwell’s longest known romantic relationship.
Related Articles
- Ted Waitt
- Ghislaine Maxwell
- Jeffrey Epstein
- Bill Clinton Investigation
- Darren Indyke
- Richard Kahn
- Little Saint James
- Epstein Files Transparency Act
Additional Links
Sources
- Ted Waitt Congressional Witness Brief
- House Oversight Committee Interview of Theodore W. Waitt, April 30, 2026.
- Epstein Files Transparency Act document corpus.