A Russian businessman who once described convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell as his “soulmate” was found dead in a luxury Moscow apartment on Monday, just weeks after his name appeared in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files.
Umar Dzhabrailov, a Chechen entrepreneur and former senator, was discovered at around 3 a.m., lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to his head, according to Russian outlet Kommersant, which cited police sources. Authorities are treating the incident as a suspected suicide.
A Luger pistol was found next to the 67-year-old’s body. Dzhabrailov, who had previously attempted suicide in 2020, did not leave a note, the sources added.
The apparent suicide comes shortly after Dzhabrailov was mentioned in emails released by the U.S. Justice Department related to Epstein. The correspondence suggests he tried to arrange a meeting with Maxwell in Moscow back in 2001.
One email from May 24 read: “Dear Ghislaine, I’m back from London, planing 2 B in Moscow. Really want 2 C U, but I need 2 know exactly when U arive, cause I want to take care of U and arrange welcoming things. Wishing U all the best! Umar.” Maxwell replied the following day: “Umar, sorry that we did not come last week. Got side tracked and ended up in France. However we Jeffrey Tom and I are coming next week arriving Fri. Will you be around and can we get together? Let me know. Hope you are well. Ghislaine.”
The exact nature of their relationship, and how they first met, remains unclear.
Dzhabrailov had previously spoken about his connection to Maxwell after her conviction for aiding Epstein’s sexual abuse of minors. “I knew Epstein. I was introduced to him by Ghislaine Maxwell, a soulmate of mine,” he told the East 2 West news agency.
He added, “But I never could have imagined that they were partners, that she was involved in finding those girls who are now all over the media. I regret that Ghislaine, the most charming woman, got a life sentence.”
Born in Chechnya, Dzhabrailov once owned the Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel & Business Center in Moscow and led a company managing Russian shopping centers. He also served as a Federation Council senator representing the North Caucasus region from 2004 to 2009.
In 2000, he ran for president against Vladimir Putin, finishing last with just under 0.1% of the vote.
