The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Episode: "Top CIA Security Advisor: Jeffrey Epstein Was A Made Up Person & They Can See Your Messages!"

Guest: Gavin de Becker | Date: March 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Steven Bartlett sits down with Gavin de Becker, globally recognized security expert, author, and advisor to the world’s elite on threat assessment and personal safety. Together, they dive into high-stakes topics ranging from digital privacy vulnerabilities, the covert operations behind Jeffrey Epstein, blackmail at the highest levels of power, and the inevitable decline of Western institutions. Gavin offers candid, deeply informed perspectives on government deception, the anatomy of compromise, the limitations of technology in protecting privacy, and practical advice for surviving in an uncertain world. The conversation oscillates between chilling exposés and deeply personal reflections—culminating in vital lessons about intuition, truth, and the responsibilities of power.

Key Discussions & Insights

1. The Reality of Government Secrecy and Deception

Timestamp: 00:29–01:57, 30:19–31:22

• Gavin opens with a stark assertion: “Meetings were not ‘How shall we tell the public?’ but ‘What shall we tell the public?’ So often the best we can get in our skepticism is to know that we are not being told the truth.” (00:29)
• Repeated historical examples show power centers routinely withhold or manipulate the truth (asbestos, Agent Orange, opioids, mass vaccination).
• “All power centers in human history lie... Knowing that they are lying does not tell you the truth, however.” (31:22)

2. Protecting the Powerful: Anti-Assassination & Threat Management

Timestamp: 01:03–05:36, 04:08–05:36

• Gavin describes his firm as specializing in “anti assassination” and developing full-spectrum protective strategies including threat assessment, physical security, and cyber protection.
• He refuses to publicly confirm or deny any client’s identity due to deep confidentiality: “All of the names that I do it for are never spoken by me... I view myself as sort of like a psychiatrist or a doctor.” (05:10)
• High-profile clients include, by public acknowledgment, figures like Jeff Bezos—some details revealed only when clients themselves go public.

3. Hacking, Digital Surveillance, and the Myth of Privacy

Timestamp: 06:38–10:54, 23:48–25:08, 51:12–53:34

• The Saudi government’s successful Pegasus 3 hack on Jeff Bezos' phone revealed the unstoppable reality of high-tech surveillance.
• “There is absolutely no protection viable for the confidentiality of your phone. If a government wants you, there’s no stopping it.” (09:24)
• Frequent updates and technological “fixes” do not solve the core issue: “There is no solution…that is reliable.”
• Bartlett echoes public unease: “They can turn on our devices…We are participating in…a process [like] 1984.” (52:48)
• Gavin believes consumers are always years behind intelligence technology: “Everything we have access to...the US intelligence had 10 years ago.” (51:12)

4. The Epstein Operation: Blackmail, Intelligence, and Fabricated Personas

Timestamp: 13:33–26:49

• Gavin details inside knowledge and the anatomy of Jeffrey Epstein’s operation:
  • Epstein was approached as a philanthropist but was a “construct…a created construct…The money, $500 million, came from Les Wexner…It was probably the funding mechanism for this construct.” (14:13–15:45)
  • Blackmail was core: hidden cameras and audio in apartments/island, “a profound blackmail operation going on to the benefit of probably more than one government, but at least one government.”
  • Confirmed belief: “Yes, I do [believe Epstein was an Israeli intelligence asset].” (21:25)
  • Ghislaine Maxwell’s father had deep Mossad ties—“eulogies like, ‘he did things for Israel that the world will never know about.’”
  • “There is direct evidence, there’s just not direct evidence I’m sharing at this moment.” (22:29)
• Explanation of blackmail mechanics: “Blackmail is not always done by calling you up and saying…The other version is far better…he becomes your rescuer…and he owns you now forever.” (25:08)
• The plea deal for “unnamed co-conspirators” in Florida was highly irregular, likely covering up intelligence activities.

Notable Moment:

• Bartlett: “You believe that Epstein was an Israeli intelligence asset?”
  Gavin: “Yes, I do.” (21:25)

5. Decline of Empires, Tyranny, and the Uses of Fear

Timestamp: 41:01–46:54

• Gavin frames the West as an “empire in decline”—drawing on historical patterns of tyranny, division, and the manipulation of public fear.
• “Division is the fuel of power…the King and Queen look over the castle wall and when they see their subjects fighting, they high five each other.” (42:06)
• He sees the division between “power centers” worldwide ultimately narrowing to a confrontation between the US (West) and China, echoing cycles from history.

6. Technology, Deepfakes, and the Challenge of Reality

Timestamp: 73:47–78:14

• Discussion of AI, deepfakes, and social media—raising existential questions about what’s real.
• Gavin: “The media world was unreal and our lives were real… We are challenged to know what is real and what is not real… Choosing what’s real matters more than ever.” (73:47)
• Bartlett references the “Dead Internet” theory, questioning if everything online is just AI-generated, leading to skepticism that may actually be healthy: “You’re saying that’s actually a good thing for us…makes us question what we’re seeing and revert to real things that are irreplaceably human?” (78:14)

7. Personal Safety & The Gift of Fear: Intuition Over Logic

Timestamp: 53:34–61:59

• Gavin’s foundational advice: “Intuition, the root of it, means to guard and to protect. I believe that intuition is always right in at least two ways… It always has your best interest at heart. It’s always based on something.” (53:52)
• Instinct often outperforms logic in high-stakes moments; society undervalues intuition.
• Story: Women who override fear signals (like not wanting to get into an elevator with someone) illustrate how we are trained to ignore intuition.

Notable Quote:

• “Canceling—one of my favorite things…I recommend it to everybody. You are not obligated to keep your plans.” (53:52)

8. Childhood Trauma, Healing & The Origin of Purpose

Timestamp: 64:09–71:35, 97:38–103:14

• Gavin shares traumatic childhood (parental violence, loss), and how understanding and gratitude—not just forgiveness—helped him transform suffering into service.
• “Healing is when we stop using any of our energy to manage the past. And this gives us all of our energy in the present moment.” (64:09)
• Stories illustrate that trauma often shapes purpose: “She said… ‘I was preparing you for this extraordinary life.’ And I think that’s true.” (64:09)

9. Advice for Living Well: Responsibility, Service, and Following the Current

Timestamp: 84:59–94:49

• Gavin’s “core truths” for his children and listeners:
  • Contribution: “Contribution to others is a key part of coming to believe that you belong here.” (85:04)
  • Self-Alignment: “What is right for you is always right for the other person… All you need to do is know what’s right for you.” (86:15)
  • Downstream Principle: “Everything you want is downstream. There is no swimming upstream. Downstream always wins. Reality always wins.” (88:38, 90:33)
• Bartlett shares his own story aligning with this principle, reinforcing the power of letting go.

10. Reflections on Power, Institutions & Community

Timestamp: 78:36–84:38

• Gavin’s preference for “subsidiarity”—government at the most local level. Centralized government is “the enemy of citizens.”
• “A very good number of people to live together is about 300…What they don’t get…is the engagement with all these anonymous people that don’t matter.”
• He draws business parallels: organizations get worse as they scale beyond numbers that allow real human connection.

11. Ultimate Meaning & Predestination

Timestamp: 97:38–103:14

• Gavin gets philosophical about meaning and purpose: “I believe in…everything is predetermined…The answer you’re going to get is the one that’s meant for you. I may get the choices…is there free will? What is presented to me is not up to me.”
• His answer connects destiny, experience, and consciousness—combining mystical and practical observations.

Memorable Quotes

• “Privacy is just not part of the new world.” (09:24, Gavin)
• “He was a construct…[Epstein’s] picture that is presented to the world is not authentic, it is not accurate to who he was.” (14:13–15:45, Gavin)
• “What is right for you is always right for the other person…That frees you.” (86:15, Gavin)
• “Everything you want is downstream. Reality always wins.” (90:33, Gavin)
• “Healing is when we stop using any of our energy to manage the past.” (64:09, Gavin)
• “Trust touch. Trust nature. Trust animals. That’s real.” (73:47, Gavin)
• “All power centers in human history lie.” (31:22, Gavin)

Important Timestamps

• 00:29 — Gavin’s opening on government secrecy
• 04:08 — The core business: anti-assassination and elite protection
• 06:38 — The Jeff Bezos/phone hacking story
• 13:33–21:29 — Epstein, intelligence, blackmail, and asset construction
• 25:08 — The mechanics of blackmail
• 41:01 — Western empire & decline
• 53:34 — Advice on intuition and personal safety
• 64:09 — Childhood trauma and healing
• 85:04, 86:15, 88:38 — Gavin’s three life maxims
• 97:38, 102:08 — Purpose, predestination, consciousness

Conclusion: Key Takeaways

This conversation delivers a rare inside look at the intersection of absolute power, statecraft, and human vulnerability. Gavin de Becker calls attention to the fragility of privacy, the pervasiveness of government deceit, and the timeless value of intuition and service. The episode balances hard-won truths about how the world really works with practical, accessible wisdom for living bravely, ethically, and freely—even “as the empire declines.”

For listeners seeking both a chilling glance behind the curtain and guidance on thriving amidst uncertainty, this episode is utterly essential.

Further Reading & Resources:

• The Gift of Fear
• Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe
• [Forbidden Facts: Government Deceit and Suppression]
• Gavin de Becker’s website

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