New Leon Black book picks fight with the Times

Key Points:

• Leon Black's career faced significant damage in October 2020 after The New York Times revealed his financial ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which persisted long after others distanced themselves from Epstein.
• Bill Cohan's new biography, "Money to Burn," portrays Black as a brilliant finance pioneer undone by personal flaws rather than serious complicity in Epstein's criminal activities, challenging the narrative pushed by some media outlets.
• A dispute has emerged between Cohan and Times journalists David Enrich and Matt Goldstein, who have reported extensively on Epstein and Black; they criticized Cohan for his portrayal and alleged lack of opportunity to respond to certain depictions in the book.
• The Times journalists emphasize Epstein’s role in advising Black on payments totaling $20 million to women, some with whom Black had sexual relationships, a detail not fully explored in Cohan’s biography and currently under congressional scrutiny.
• The New York Times maintains that its coverage of Black has been fair and accurate, standing firm amid ongoing investigations and revelations regarding Black’s financial dealings linked to Epstein.