The unsealing of the Jeffrey Epstein records in early 2026—a massive data dump known as DataSet 9—was expected to be a reckoning for the world’s elite. But as the 3.5 million pages of the Epstein Files Transparency Act release were indexed and searched, a bizarre and highly specific subplot emerged. Nestled within the digital folders was a series of emails involving Disney CEO Bob Iger, but not in the way the internet’s conspiracy theorists had imagined.
The document, indexed as EFTA00096641, reveals a story of corporate vengeance, claims of Hollywood “scouts,” and a desperate attempt to use the Department of Justice to settle a long-standing financial grudge against The Walt Disney Company.
The Whistleblower: An MSNBC Connection
The author of the explosive email at the center of the EFTA00096641 filing identifies themselves as a former MSNBC employee. This individual, who reportedly worked in the network’s production wing during the late 2000s, claims to have had a front-row seat to the intersections of media, power, and the Epstein circle.
However, the writer’s primary focus wasn’t Epstein’s island; it was a perceived theft within Disney’s walls. In a detailed message to federal investigators, the former MSNBC staffer attempts to negotiate a “quid pro quo.” They suggest that they possess critical information that could help the DOJ “close the balance” on the Epstein case—but only if the FBI reopens a criminal probe into Bob Iger and Disney’s financial practices.
The “Dividend Theft” Allegation
The heart of the writer’s grievance is a specific and arcane financial program: Disney’s Dividend Reinvestment Program (DRIP). The email to the DOJ is blunt:
“I would like the investigation reopened by the FBI into the Walt Disney Company into the theft of funds from their dividend reinvestment program. I do not believe that the agents assigned were thorough in their case review. There is a balance remaining with me and the Department of Justice as well that I would like to close.”
The writer alleges that for years, Disney’s DRIP system was being used as a “slush fund” to siphon off fractional shares from thousands of small-scale investors. According to the claim, these “stolen” funds were then diverted into off-book accounts. While the FBI had previously looked into these allegations and dismissed them as unsubstantiated accounting discrepancies, the author of the EFTA files remained convinced of a massive cover-up orchestrated at the highest levels of the company.
The Hollywood “Scouts”: Portman and Witherspoon
Perhaps the most sensational—and legally dubious—claim in the EFTA00096641 filing involves a bizarre tie-in to Hollywood A-listers. The writer alleges that during their time at MSNBC, they became aware of a “finding” operation managed by Ghislaine Maxwell.
In a move that analysts characterize as a classic “poison pill” smear tactic, the writer claims that actresses Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon were secretly working with Maxwell to “find him”—a reference to high-profile targets or associates of the Epstein circle.
It is important to note that the DOJ’s supplemental notes on DataSet 9 categorize these specific claims as “unsubstantiated hearsay from a hostile source.” Legal experts point out that there is zero evidence in the flight logs, phone records, or Maxwell’s personal diaries to suggest any affiliation between these actresses and the Epstein ring. Instead, the mention of these famous names alongside Bob Iger appears to be a calculated attempt to maximize the “SEO impact” and public visibility of the writer’s dividend-theft grievance.
Retaliation as a Service
The presence of Bob Iger’s name in the Epstein files is a textbook example of weaponized whistleblowing. By burying a corporate financial complaint inside a dossier related to the century’s most notorious sex-trafficking case, the author ensured their claims would eventually be declassified and seen by the entire world.
The narrative they constructed was designed to create a “guilt-by-association” trap:
- Phase One: Link Iger to the Epstein investigation via the DOJ tip line.
- Phase Two: Claim that major Hollywood stars (closely associated with Disney projects) were Maxwell “scouts.”
- Phase Three: Demand an FBI probe into the “dividend theft” as the price for cooperation.
For Iger, who was preparing for his early retirement in late January 2026, the release of EFTA00096641 was a reputational ambush. The email confirms that his name wasn’t found in Epstein’s “Little Black Book,” but rather in the inbox of a disgruntled media professional who had a particular axe to grind.
The Verdict on DataSet 9
As the Department of Justice continues processing the final pages of the Epstein release, the consensus on the Disney/Iger mention is clear: it is a “retaliation memo.”
The Justice Department has not reopened the investigation into the Disney Dividend Reinvestment Program, citing a lack of credible evidence and the “transactional nature” of the whistleblower’s request. Furthermore, the claims regarding Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon have been dismissed by investigators as fabrications intended to draw media attention to a civil financial dispute.
The 2026 unsealing has proven that while the Epstein files contain many dark truths, they also include the desperate “Hail Mary” passes of individuals looking to settle old scores. Bob Iger’s “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” turned out to be a paper trail of a corporate grudge, proving that in the age of transparency, the most dangerous weapon is a well-placed, but completely false, association.
Conclusion: Cleaning the Mountain
As Bob Iger prepares to hand over the keys to the Disney Kingdom, the full context of EFTA00096641 serves as his ultimate exoneration. It reveals a CEO who was targeted not for his social associations, but for his company’s accounting software. In the end, the only “theft” in the files was the attempt to steal Iger’s reputation using the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein as a proxy.
