Indian-American author, alternative medicine advocate, and former UCSD clinical professor. His name appears more than 4,000 times in DOJ-released Epstein files, making him one of the most frequently cited figures in the corpus. EFTA correspondence documents regular contact between Chopra and Epstein from at least 2016 through 2019.
At least 12 in-person meetings have been identified, along with more than 10 email threads. Chopra told Epstein his late nights were "a blast" and described himself as "not a predator, just a lover" in a text exchange where Epstein wrote: "I liked watching you zero in on your prey. Made me smile." In February 2017, Chopra invited Epstein to join him in Israel with the message: "Come to Israel with us...Bring your girls.
It will be fun to have you," and offered to help Epstein travel under an assumed identity. This invitation was sent nine years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. A March 2017 email from Chopra to Epstein reads: "God is a construct.
Cute girls are real." Chopra and Poonacha Machaiah, co-founder of the wellness app Jiyo, solicited Epstein's input on the venture and arranged a July 2017 visit so they could "walk him through Jiyo value proposition." In 2017, the Chopra Foundation received a $50,000 check from "Gratitude America," one of Epstein's foundations. Chopra's spokesperson said the check was returned. UCSD professors in Chopra's broader network separately sought Epstein funding for research into telepathy.
Congressional records show Epstein also wrote to Chopra about Donald Trump. In February 2026, artist Sevda Rubens alleged Chopra behaved inappropriately toward her at a European meditation event when she was 16, giving her his number and suggesting a late-night meeting. Following the January 30, 2026 DOJ document release, UCSD announced Chopra's voluntary clinical professorship would end June 30, 2026.
Chopra stated he was "never involved in, nor did I participate in, any criminal or exploitative conduct" and that "any contact I had was limited and unrelated to abusive activity."