Ethiopia: Brunel Wanted 'Interesting Girls,' Epstein Wanted the Tobacco Monopoly

On July 2, 2012, Epstein emailed Shaher Abdulhak. He added: "if you go to ethiopia. my very good friend that owns a modeling agency would love to go. as he thinks there are interesting girls there" (EFTA01873908-0).

Four days later, Jean-Luc Brunel wrote to Epstein from Paris. He listed his schedule, then: "NY except if I can go to Ethiopia with you" (EFTA01768711-2).

Shaher had his own Ethiopia operations. He owned 60 percent of National Tobacco Enterprise Ethiopia, the country's sole cigarette factory, a monopoly incorporated in 1946 as the Imperial Tobacco Factory. In April 2015 he pitched Epstein directly: "Need 20 $ mill we are short to pay for my ethiopian cigarettes for 360 days" (EFTA01744617-4). Shaher explained the structure: a Cayman company called Sheba Investment held the shares, the Ethiopian government held the remaining 40 percent, production was five billion sticks per year with plans to double, and the company marketed Marlboro under exclusive license. He valued his stake at $270 million (EFTA01744617-5).

Epstein engaged. "i would very much like to be helpful. what is the cash flow, income and balance sheet look like" (EFTA01744617-10). Shaher said the company netted $12 million the previous year and projected $500-600 million valuation by end of 2017. He explained the difficulty: Gulf lenders considered tobacco financing "Makrooh" (religiously discouraged), "though they all smoke (hypocrisy)" (EFTA01744617-9). No email in the archive confirms Epstein provided the loan.

Shaher traveled to Addis Ababa regularly. In June 2012 he wrote from Addis Ababa: "Sheraton they did not have Wifi and their Internet very bad" (EFTA01882115-1). Epstein warned him to limit who attended: "fewer. don't trust anyone." In March 2014 Shaher was in Addis Ababa again, then left for Sudan, writing: "brother cousin enjoying with Beautiful faces sun and blue skies. Poor me" (EFTA01930885-0). In October 2014, Sultan sent Epstein a photo captioned "WITH PRESIDENT IF ETHIOPIA" (EFTA01801857-0).