Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender whose life—and especially his death—received immense national interest. He carefully cultivated an extensive web of connections among a Who’s Who list of Fortune 500 CEOs, joint chiefs of staff, and cabinet members. His network reached into sectors from politics to academia, business and entertainment. This inspired skepticism regarding his power over others and motivation for why important and wealthy people still closely connected with him, even following his criminal conviction.
Epstein’s extensive ties to Donald Trump reach back several decades, to the late 1980s. While Trump has continually claimed that he cut his business ties with Epstein, documents indicate that their relationship persisted into at least the mid-2010s. In a now-infamous 2002 interview, Trump called Epstein a “terrific guy,” giving us an early look at their actual friendship.
Barry Levine, a journalist who has extensively covered Epstein’s life, noted, “He was a diabolical monster, but at the same time he was brilliant in a sense that he was able to maintain this incredible network of some of the world’s most powerful individuals.”
One such prominent character in Epstein’s orbit was Noam Chomsky, the famous linguist and political activist. During this time, Epstein regularly corresponded with Chomsky, inviting him to spend time in his homes. Documents indicate Epstein played a hands-on role in keeping Chomsky financially afloat. Money he shifted from account to account, he will never actually have spent any of his own money. This conversation offers a window into how Epstein used his financial expertise to operate in ways that often skirted the bounds of ethics.
Epstein’s network did not stop with faculty at elite institutions like MIT and Harvard, it reached high-profile political circles as well. Larry Summers, another former president of Harvard University, sought Epstein’s romantic counsel in an otherwise friendly November 2018 exchange. In a later reflection on his interactions with Epstein, Summers expressed regret: “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognise the pain they have caused.”
Moreover, Epstein cultivated a close relationship with Lord Peter Mandelson, one of the leading members of the United Kingdom’s Labour Party. This link has been under the most extreme suspension. The inquiry re-ignited when Mandelson was recalled to London from his post as the UK’s envoy to the United States in September 2020. The implication of Mandelson’s connections with Epstein and why they are important. What this sordid affair reveals for the intersection of politics and personal behavior.
Epstein viewed himself as a “people collector” throughout his life, an individual who built ties for transactional means. Barry Levine explained how Epstein leveraged information he gathered from those in his network: “He would use information that he gained… with the intention at the end of the day that he was going to bank either favours from them, finances from them, or in a darker sense, blackmail from some of these individuals.”
You might think that after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution, Epstein wouldn’t have been able to keep getting invited to elite social events. His private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands became infamous. The Miami Herald’s damning investigation exposed his predatory behavior and relationships.
How Epstein was able to keep doing these connections is most alarming. It raises haunting questions about the culture of power and complicity of all those connected to him. Barry Levine remarked on the chilling reality many now face: “Each and every one of course regrets the day they communicated with Jeffrey Epstein or spent time with him.”
The story the investigation uncovers, of Epstein’s life and network, is a shocking story as much about privilege as it is about predation. Levine described it as “one of the most unbelievable stories of our time,” emphasizing the intricate interplay between power and exploitation.