Peter Rahal, the CEO of David Protein, has announced that Dr. Peter Attia has stepped down from his role as Chief Science Officer at the company.
Attia, a renowned longevity expert, was reportedly named more than 1,700 times in a cache of 3 million documents released as part of the wider Epstein files by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
“Dr. Peter Attia has stepped down from his role as Chief Science Officer at David,” Rahal wrote on X.
“We remain focused on serving our customers.”
In a post on social media, Attia said he met Epstein in 2014 through a “prominent female healthcare leader” while he was raising funds for scientific research.
Epstein, who died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019, had previously been convicted in 2008 on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
In his open letter, Attia says he directly quizzed the multimillionaire about that conviction, stating he later learned Epstein had “grossly minimized” the severity.
He denied any wrongdoing throughout their friendship, despite several mentions in the latest drop of files.
“I was never involved in criminal activity,” Attia wrote. “My interactions with Epstein had nothing to do with his sexual abuse or exploitation of anyone.
“I was never on his plane, never on his island, and never present at any sex parties.”
He did, however, apologize for the emails and state he was “ashamed” of the contents, which included “crude, tasteless banter.”
Dr. Peter Attia’s Epstein Correspondence
In one 2015 note, Dr. Peter Attia wrote, “The biggest problem with becoming friends with you? The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can’t tell a soul…”
Also in 2015, he sent Epstein an email with the subject line “Got a fresh shipment.”
The email contained a photograph of bottles of metformin, a medication Attia says he had just received from the pharmacy for personal use.
Epstein, who was famed for socializing with the elite, replied with the words “me too” and attached a photograph of an “adult woman.”
“I responded with crude, tasteless banter,” Attia continued in his statement.
“Reading that exchange now is very embarrassing, and I will not defend it. I’m ashamed of myself for everything about this.
“At the time, I understood this exchange as juvenile, not a reference to anything dark or harmful.”
Attia says he was “repulsed” and “nauseated” after the Miami Herald released its investigative article on Epstein in 2018, bringing the scandal into global focus.
According to Reuters, the author of Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity had already been removed from David Protein‘s website prior to Rahal formally severing ties on Monday, February 2.
The protein bar maker had Attia listed as its Chief Science Officer, as well as on the company’s “experts” page.
“Nothing in this letter is meant to minimize the harm suffered by the young women Epstein abused,” Attia concluded. “Their trauma is permanent.
“I am not asking for a pass from you. I am not asking anyone to ignore the emails or pretend they aren’t ugly. They simply are.
“The man I am today, roughly ten years later, would not write them and would not associate with Epstein at all. Whatever growth I’ve had over the past decade does not erase the emails I wrote then.
“I recognize that my actions and words have consequences for the people I care deeply about, including all of you. I regret the cost this has placed on you, and I take responsibility for it.
“I won’t ask anyone to defend me or explain this on my behalf. If you have questions or concerns, I’ll address them directly with you, my team.”
