The previous French tradition minister and present president of the Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris, Jack Lang, is amongst these named in newly launched paperwork referring to the convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The recordsdata, launched by the US Division of Justice on 30 January, reveal that Lang maintained contact with the disgraced financier over an prolonged interval and requested materials favours together with the usage of Epstein’s automobile and personal aircraft for himself and his members of the family. Paperwork additionally revealed communications between Lang, his spouse Monique, and Epstein over a luxurious villa in Marrakech that an unnamed acquaintance was trying to promote. A video from the Epstein recordsdata reveals Lang alongside Epstein in entrance of the Louvre pyramid, although the date is undetermined.
The doc launch—comprising three million pages, 2,000 movies, and 180,000 photographs—was mandated by congress in December 2025, nevertheless many paperwork had been closely redacted.
Lang, 86, has presided over the French cultural institute devoted to the Arab world since 2013 and beforehand served twice as France’s minister of tradition underneath President François Mitterrand. He has been a distinguished determine in French cultural life for many years, championing arts schooling and worldwide cultural change.
Lang stated he was launched to Epstein round 15 years in the past by the movie director Woody Allen and insisted he had no data of Epstein’s prison actions on the time. “I used to be utterly shocked once I found the crimes he had dedicated,” Lang stated in an announcement. He had not responded to a request for remark on the time of publishing.
His daughter Caroline Lang, a movie producer and former actor, was additionally named within the Epstein paperwork. She resigned on Monday (2 February) as president of the Unbiased Manufacturing Union, simply three weeks after taking over the position. “I are not looking for this case to in any manner hurt the union,” she stated in an announcement.
The French investigative outlet Mediapart revealed that Epstein based an organization in 2016 based mostly within the US Virgin Islands, with half of its shares held by Caroline Lang. The corporate, Prytanee LLC, was reportedly supposed to assist investments in artwork and had $1.4m in its accounts. Caroline Lang advised Mediapart that she met Epstein by way of Allen and his spouse in 2012, when Epstein advised her he needed to “put money into younger French and worldwide artists”. She stated that, wanting again, she had been “extremely naive”. Caroline Lang has additionally been approached by The Artwork Newspaper for remark.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 in what was formally dominated a suicide, whereas awaiting trial on federal intercourse trafficking costs.
The January 30 recordsdata revealed intensive connections to a number of distinguished artwork world figures. The movie producer and artwork collector Steve Tisch corresponded with Epstein about a number of ladies in emails from 2013. In a single April 2013 e-mail chain with the topic line “Ukrainian Lady”, Tisch requested Epstein a couple of girl he had met, asking “professional or civilian?” Epstein replied the lady was a “civilian, however Russian, and infrequently tells the complete reality, however enjoyable.” In one other change, Epstein advised Tisch “you probably did very nicely” with an acquaintance however that she was “a little bit freaked by the age distinction”. Tisch stated in an announcement he had “a quick affiliation” with Epstein discussing “grownup ladies” in addition to films, philanthropy and investments, including that he “deeply remorse[s] associating with” Epstein. Tisch was approached for remark.
Jean Pigozzi, one of many world’s main collectors of latest African artwork, additionally appeared within the recordsdata, with 2013 correspondence exhibiting he and Epstein mentioned ladies’s bodily attributes. Pigozzi advised ARTnews the emails had been “silly” and stated of his relationship with Epstein: “I by no means had something to do with him and women. Zero. Nothing.” Pigozzi was approached for remark.
Paperwork additionally revealed that the artist Jeff Koons met with Epstein, with unsealed recordsdata exhibiting Epstein visited Koons’s studio. Koons confirmed attending a dinner at Epstein’s Higher East Aspect dwelling in 2013, years after the financier’s conviction, however stated he “didn’t have a relationship with Epstein” past that occasion.
Beforehand reported Epstein hyperlinks to the artwork world embrace the billionaire collector Leon Black, a former chairman of the Museum of Trendy Artwork (MoMA) in New York, who paid Epstein not less than $158m between 2012 and 2017 for what Black described as tax and property planning providers. Black stepped down from his position as MoMA board chairman in 2021 after greater than 150 artists signed an open letter demanding his elimination, although he stays a trustee on the museum.
Koons and Black have been approached for remark.
