Newly released documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein reveal that in 2014 he attempted to purchase the Croatian military vessel Olimp M-46.
According to the documents, Epstein was connected to the deal through Boris Nikolić, a Croatian doctor who had previously worked for Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Nikolić introduced Epstein to Zoran Kovač, described in emails as “a person who deals with buying and selling ships.”
Kovač is the founder and director of Sigma Stan, a company specializing in luxury residential projects in Zagreb and Zadar. The documents include a briefing sheet on the Olimp M-46, presented to Epstein as an upgraded version of the vessel he was seeking. The ship was developed at the Maritime Institute in Zagreb.
Emails indicate that while the official seller remained unclear, Kovač mentioned the transaction involved a “closed circle of people.” Although the ship was five years old, it was normally not sold for civilian purposes, but an exception was considered because Epstein was based in the U.S.
Subsequent emails show Epstein requesting additional details, while Kovač suggested there was interest from the Greek military. At one point, the ship was shipped to St. Thomas, near Epstein-owned islands, though complications arose when Kovač involved an unnamed Swiss company.
The negotiations ended without a purchase, as Epstein ultimately replied to Kovač to “forget everything,” and the transaction was not pursued further.
