Epstein Urged to Help Anti-Putin Leader Ilya Ponomarev & Replace Russian President Putin

This is a January 11, 2012, email from Boris Nikolic (likely Boris Nikolic, a former adviser to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) to Jeffrey Epstein (at jeevacation@gmail.com), forwarded with the subject “FW: Davos.”

The sender urges Epstein to visit Russia soon to meet his friend Ilya Ponomarev (a Russian State Duma member representing Novosibirsk but living in Moscow).

He describes Ponomarev and his girlfriend Alyona as the main organizers of an “uprising against Putin.” Nikolic expresses fear for Ponomarev’s safety due to the high stakes, speculating that Ponomarev could replace Putin as president “sooner or later” if not killed first. He calls it “super dangerous” and asks Epstein for ideas on how to help Ponomarev (not related to Davos but “the other stuff in general”).

Nikolic praises Ponomarev as “super smart” and one of Russia’s most connected people, and requests: “Pls do not forward this email.” Signed “B.”Is this real?Yes, this email is real and authentic. It comes from the latest batches of Jeffrey Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in early 2026 (late January/early February tranche). Multiple credible sources, including Anadolu Agency, WION, and various international reports, reference this exact 2012 email from Boris Nikolic to Epstein.

The content matches verbatim quotes in coverage: the uprising against Putin, Ponomarev as potential replacement president, the danger, the request for help ideas, and the “do not forward” warning.Ilya Ponomarev was indeed a real Russian Duma deputy (2007–2016), known as the only one to vote against anti-LGBT “gay propaganda” laws; he fled Russia in 2014/2015 amid charges, gained Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, and has since lived in exile in Kyiv, supporting anti-Putin activities and partisan operations against Russia. No evidence suggests Epstein acted on the request or that any help materialized—Ponomarev never became president, and Putin remains in power. The email highlights Epstein’s tangential involvement in geopolitical discussions via his elite network, but it’s speculative and one-sided from the sender.