Fact Check: Viral 'WW3' Epstein Email Claim for Feb. 8, 2026, Is Fabricated — No Match in DOJ Files

Claim: A viral image circulating on X (formerly Twitter) purported to show an email from Jeffrey Epstein's files that mentioned a plan for "WW3" to begin on Feb. 8, 2026. Researchers checked the Department of Justice's public archive and found no such document.

What Was Claimed

The post (published Feb. 4, 2026) included a screenshot presented as an email to jeevacation@gmail.com with these details:

To: jeevacation@gmail.com [ jeevacation@gmail.com ]
From: James Heywood <REDACTED>
Sent: Thu: 7/17/2018 9:00:02 PM
Subject: Off Grid Re: intro, potential angel investmentt opp (nuclear)

We need to discuss ww3 the investors want to know if we are still planning Feb 8 2026.

Please be advised that I am on vacation till July 29. I will be attempting to be 'off grid'. My assistant Rachael Haynes >.com can help if it is urgent.

-jamie

EFTA_R1_00353105
EFTA01914490

What Researchers Checked

Lead Stories and other analysts examined the Department of Justice's publicly available Epstein files and conducted targeted searches for the specific strings and names shown in the screenshot, including:

• Searches on the DOJ public archive for the terms "ww3" and the exact quoted sentence.
• A search for the misspelled subject phrase "investmentt opp (nuclear)".
• Searches for the names "James Heywood" and "Rachael Haynes" together.
• AI-assisted indexing checks via Sourcebase.ai to cross-check the same dataset.

Findings

No document on the DOJ site matched the phrasing shown in the viral screenshot, the misspelled subject line, or any reference to Feb. 8, 2026. A broad search for "ww3" on the DOJ site returned seven results, but those occurrences were incidental (part of URLs, shared links, or third-party citations) and not evidence of an email referring to World War III.

The closest authentic file located in the archive used the same sender and recipient names and shared some of the numeric identifiers that appear in the screenshot, but it was timestamped about four years earlier and did not mention WW3 or the 2026 date. This discrepancy — and the inability to locate the quoted wording anywhere in the public records or in Sourcebase.ai's indexed cache — indicates the screenshot was likely altered to create a false impression of a DOJ document.

Conclusion

There is no evidence in the Department of Justice's publicly available Epstein records, nor via an AI-assisted search tool, that an email references "ww3" or a planned World War III beginning on Feb. 8, 2026. Available facts point to a fabricated or edited image rather than an authentic DOJ document.

Bottom line: The viral screenshot is not supported by the DOJ archive or independent searches and appears to be fabricated.