The email, dated May 21, 2018, was released on Friday as part of about 3.5 million documents made public by the United States Department of Justice in connection with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in custody in 2019.

The documents, obtained by Premium Times, have renewed public scrutiny over Epstein’s extensive social network, as well as questions surrounding redactions and the selective release of records, given that U.S. authorities have acknowledged holding about six million pages in total.

The email thread was between Epstein and Jide Zeitlin, a Nigerian-American business executive and former Chairman and CEO of Tapestry Inc., the parent company of luxury brands Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.

In the exchange, Epstein requested that Mr Zeitlin suggest “two or three people that think out of the box” to attend a “fun dinner” planned for June 2018.

Responding, Mr Zeitlin proposed a list of prominent global figures, including Dr Okonjo-Iweala and Emir Sanusi, both of whom previously served as governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

At the time of the email, Dr Okonjo-Iweala had been out of Nigerian government since 2015 but held several international roles, including Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Mr Sanusi was serving as Emir of Kano.

Other proposed guests listed by Mr Zeitlin included Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist; Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister; Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the Qatari Emir; Tony Marx, President of the New York Public Library; and Niall Ferguson, a British-American historian.

Mr Zeitlin described Mr Sanusi as “probably the most out of the box name” on the list, adding that the suggested names represented “different levels of originality.”

The correspondence did not confirm whether invitations were sent or whether the proposed dinner eventually took place.

Reacting, Paul Nwabuikwu, media adviser to Dr Okonjo-Iweala, said the WTO chief never had any interaction with Epstein and was unaware of any invitation to attend his gatherings.

“She didn’t know him and had no contact with him. Epstein was a high-level influence peddler, and names were often floating around him,” Nwabuikwu said.

Similarly, Bashir Jentile, spokesperson to the Emir of Kano, said he was not aware of any invitation extended to the emir.

Documents released by U.S. authorities show that Epstein frequently organised elite social gatherings attended by influential figures from politics, business and academia, even after his 2008 conviction.

The BBC earlier reported that former South African President Jacob Zuma attended a dinner hosted by Epstein in London in 2010.

Although presence at such gatherings does not imply involvement in Epstein’s crimes, his continued access to global elites despite his criminal record has remained a major point of controversy.

Epstein was first investigated in 2005 after allegations of sexual abuse involving underage girls in Palm Beach, Florida. He later pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from minors and served a short jail term.

He was rearrested in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges involving minors but died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial.

His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted in 2021 for facilitating the abuse of underage girls.