It is a photo that has been reproduced countless times around the world – and rightly so. Prince Andrew grins proudly as he clutches 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre’s bare waist in a Belgravia mews house. Ghislaine Maxwell, owner of the property, smirks at their side.
When Virginia, by then a mother of three, gave The Mail on Sunday permission to first publish that picture in February 2011, she believed it would shock the British authorities into investigating the ties between Andrew and paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein had employed her as a ‘sex slave’ in the prostitution ring that he ran with Maxwell, she told me. He had paid her for providing services that night to the 41-year-old prince, including sex in a bathtub. ‘It was made clear to me that my job was to do whatever pleased him,’ she later told me.
I’d been on the case of Andrew and his links to Epstein for some time – and news of my enquiries had already reached the financier, as the trove of documents released by the US Department of Justice makes clear.
Buried among them is this email conversation from February 25, 2011:
Epstein: ‘The reporter Churcher is calling around in new york now.’
Andrew: ‘No worries!’
Epstein: ‘Terribly sorry, I would have hoped this would have gone away.’
Andrew: ‘The MoS are the one paper here everyone least likes and is just gratuitously trying it on… Not bothered any further about it but will keep watch. A.’
Prince Andrew grins proudly as he clutches 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre’s bare waist in a Belgravia mews house in a photo unearthed by the Mail’s Sharon Churcher
Andrew attending the Christmas Day service at Sandringham Church in 2025, months before he would move onto the estate after being booted out of Royal Lodge
Epstein’s antennae were twitching, yet Andrew seemed positively blasé – with good reason. For, if Virginia assumed the British authorities would respond to her bravery by addressing Andrew’s behaviour, she was wrong.
While the FBI interviewed Virginia in Australia, where she lived, in Britain her claims were all but dismissed. In 2015, a police spokesman said: ‘Officers assessed all available evidence at the time… This did not result in any allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based nationals.’ And that, so far as the Establishment was concerned, was that.
Andrew, of course, has strenuously denied all wrongdoing from the outset. Yet allegations about his continuing friendship with Epstein and his conduct as a trade envoy were piling up even by the time Virginia agreed to speak out.
The scale and scope of those concerns were made clear when, in March 2011, former Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant called for Andrew to be dismissed as trade envoy. Writing in the MoS, he pointed to a ‘catalogue of inappropriate connections… bringing not just Britain but the Royal Family into disrepute’.
These included friendships with Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi and other dictators, links with a Libyan gun smuggler and businessmen in the ‘Wild East’ of former Soviet states, notably Kazakhstan.
Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev had bought Andrew’s house, Sunninghill in Ascot, for £3 million above the asking price – raising obvious questions about the possibility of money laundering.
The following month, Andrew was obliged to distance himself from his banker friend David ‘Spotty’ Rowland – who had accompanied him on a secret visit to meet Gaddafi, and who’d been denounced as shady in the Commons.
Later that year, we reported that, while acting as trade envoy in the Far East, Andrew stayed in hotel suites advertised at up to £7,700 a night at the taxpayer’s expense.
Andrew suggested in a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that the photo may have been doctored
Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge in 2004, at which time he and Andrew were friends
He was forced to quit his role following our revelations, but ‘Air Miles Andy’ continued to enjoy the high life, representing the UK Government on official business. Bryant concluded that ‘Downing Street would not entertain anything that might possibly be interpreted as an attack on a member of the Royal Family.’
So, the matter was quietly dropped – with journalists left to do the job instead. The turning point came last autumn with the discovery of three devastating emails by the MoS. First we revealed that, in 2011, Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson had called Epstein her ‘supreme friend’, despite denouncing him in public as a paedophile.
Then we revealed that several months after Andrew claimed to have cut off contact with Epstein, he told the financier: ‘We are in this together and must rise above it… let’s play some more soon.’
That was followed by our revelation that Andrew had asked his police bodyguard to investigate Virginia in the hope that she might have a criminal record.
King Charles was finally forced to act. He booted Andrew out of his home and stripped him of all remaining titles. And today, from the Epstein Files, we know much, much more.
While the legal process must take its course, Virginia would have been pleased by Andrew’s arrest and the welcome light of scrutiny. But it came too late for her as she took her own life last April at the age of 41.
She once told me: ‘I’ve gone from pain, to hurt, to anger. Epstein was a monster. He and Andrew were shameless. They have no remorse.’
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest is the last straw for one Ontario mayor who is now seeking a street renaming in his municipality.
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe told Global News Thursday that he will ask council on Monday to consider renaming Prince Andrew Court, a residential street near Prince Charles Court and Lake Street.
“St. Catharines councillors and I have been having discussions for some time about whether the court should be renamed,” Siscoe said in a statement.
“Given today’s news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, I would say there is no reason to continue discussing.”
Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Story continues below advertisement
While Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about his links to the late financier have dogged the Royal Family for more than a decade.
Siscoe said St. Catharines council has a responsibility to ensure that municipal place names reflect community values and maintain public confidence in civic institutions.
He’s asking for the process to review and consider renaming the court to include public consultation with affected residents and stakeholders, and have staff report back with recommendations, including options for alternative names and associated financial and administrative implications.
Former prince Andrew arrested amid Epstein investigation
Several Canadian municipalities have landmarks that are named after Andrew, and St. Catharines is just the latest to seek a renaming.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
In August 2022, Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth, N.S., was renamed Woodlawn High School.
Story continues below advertisement
Mississauga, Ont., council passed a motion in November 2025 to disassociate the name Duke of York Boulevard from the former prince. The motion included removing all plaques, honours and non-critical signage tied to the former royal on city property.
Township of Selwyn Mayor Sherry Senis told Global News Thursday that the township approved a motion in November to study the renaming of Prince Andrew Island and Gordonstoun Island.
“This review will include following the required provincial process through the Province of Ontario Geographic Names Board (a process that can take up to 12 months to complete once an application is submitted). This work will be carried out transparently and in partnership with community members, including local First Nations,” Senis said, adding that she expects to hear from the local First Nation next week.
Kevin Murdoch, mayor of Oak Bay, B.C., said the district has had some interest from residents over the years in wanting Prince Andrew Place – a small residential cul-de-sac – renamed.
However, no formal request or direction to initiate a name change had been made.
“The recent removal of the title ‘Prince Andrew’ from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the arrest of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor may change the discussion or timeline, but I have nothing new to add,” Murdoch told Global News in an email.
Trending Now
‘So much hope’ as Team Canada goes for Olympic gold in women’s hockey
Provinces are bracing for record deficits. What’s causing budgets to see red?
“Council has not had an opportunity to raise the issue since the arrest announcement in particular.”
Story continues below advertisement
Former Prince Andrew likely to face criminal investigation over ties to Epstein
Toronto and Caledon, Ont., also have streets named after the former prince. A Town of Caledon official told Global News in an email any reconsideration of a municipal street name would require a formal review process and public feedback.
The office of Toronto mayor Olivia Chow did not return comment request by publication.
The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his ties to Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC.
But more details about the relationship emerged in a book published last year, and Charles stripped him of the right to be called a prince and ordered him to move.
Then came the unprecedented announcement last week that Buckingham Palace was ready to co-operate in the event of a police inquiry into Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein.
Story continues below advertisement
Charles was forced to act after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein documents that revealed the extent of his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor and showed that their correspondence continued long after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges brought by federal prosecutors in New York in 2019. He took his own life in jail while awaiting trial.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after police visited his new home on the Sandringham estate this morning.
The former Duke of York has been taken into custody while officers search properties in Norfolk and Berkshire – his former home at Royal Lodge.
It comes as police detectives probe his conduct as a trade envoy for the UK after emails in the Epstein Files suggested he shared confidential information with his paedophile friend including reports of his official visits and potential investment opportunities.
King Charles said the ‘law must take its course’ in his first public remarks reacting to the arrest with his statement supported by the Prince and Princess of Wales
Follow the latest updates below
The King has said ‘the law must take its course’ after expressing his ‘deepest concern’ over the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Charles III revealed that the police will have his ‘wholehearted support and co-operation’ after his younger brother was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Calling for a ‘full, fair and proper process’, the King added: ‘My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all’.
The disgraced former Duke of York was held on his 66th birthday today and is in custody at a secret location after a morning raid on his new Norfolk home was first revealed by the Daily Mail.
He can be held without charge for 24 hours, which begins upon arrival at a police station.
Pictures: Police stationed outside Andrew’s Sandringham home following arrest
Here are the latest pictures we can show you from Sandringham where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested this morning.
Officers have remained stationed outside the former Duke of York’s home as searches are carried out in Norfolk and at his former Royal Lodge home in Windsor.
Andrew was taken into custody at an undisclosed location earlier after he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
David Stern pictured with Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
by Elizabeth Haigh
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ‘pushed through’ the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein’s fixer to the board of a Windsor Castle trust despite opposition from members, it was claimed today.
The former prince, who turns 66 today, is said to have ‘imposed’ David Stern, a close confidant of the paedophile financier, on board members of the St George’s House Trust in 2016.
German businessman Stern features in at least 7,461 documents in the Epstein files and is seen in a photograph alongside Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The 48-year-old is understood to have been introduced to the former Duke and Duchess of York in 2009 by Epstein, and went on to become a close friend of the couple.
Documents released in the files appear to show that Stern accompanied Andrew on trips to China and southeast Asia during his time as a trade envoy and served as a director of Andrew’s Pitch@Palace startup from 2017 to 2019.
When Stern, who described Epstein as ‘my boss’, was proposed to the board by Andrew, other members are said to have raised concerns about his background.
This Morning host Alison Hammond has been blasted for making a ‘moronic’ comment about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest live on air.
The ITV star was joined by Dermot O’Leary, Nick Ferrari and Sonia Sodha for the news segment of the breakfast show when talk turned to the arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Talking about the breaking news story at the start of the show, Alison, 51, was quick to offer up her opinion on Mountbatten-Windsor being arrested on his birthday.
She told her co-stars: ‘They could’ve done it yesterday, the day before his birthday.’
Alison continued: ‘It is developing, we don’t know very much beyond what you’ve just said. All we know is that police can tell you.’
Viewers of the ITV series immediately flooded social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to hit back against Alison’s comment, calling it ‘weird’.
What CPS and police need to prove following Andrew’s misconduct arrest
Misconduct in public office is notoriously difficult to define, let alone prove, with only 191 people convicted between 2014 and 2024.
Authorities will have to find clear evidence that Andrew was in a public office role, and that he knowingly abused or exploited his position.
Sean Caulfield, a criminal defence lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen, said:
Proving misconduct in a public office is an extremely high bar. Firstly, it must be determined if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was in a role within government that constitutes the title of public officer.
There is no standard definition to clearly draw on, but case law indicates that a public officer is someone who holds an office of trust or performs a public duty.
Thames Valley Police previously said it was reviewing allegations that Andrew shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
The case will rest on whether sharing confidential government briefing documents constitutes an abuse of the public’s trust, Mr Caulfield added.
Keep calm and carry on from Charles as King continues his duties
The King has carried on with his duties as monarch in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
Charles continued with his planned ambassadorial in-person audiences in the Throne Room at St James’s Palace on Thursday.
He was pictured welcoming the ambassador of El Salvador Francisco Lima Mena as part of a series of audiences at the royal residence.
The monarch earlier vowed he and the royal family would ‘continue in our duty and service to you all’ after issuing a written statement insisting the ‘law must take its course’ and expressing his ‘deep concern’ over allegations against his younger brother of misconduct in public office.
Andrew’s ‘seismic’ arrest leaves Royal Family in ‘uncharted waters’
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt has claimed the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has left the Royal Family facing a situation it is ‘ill-equipped to navigate’.
Mr Hunt said senior royals find themselves in ‘uncharted waters’ following the Epstein scandal which has rocked the UK’s political and royal institutions.
He told the Press Association:
The arrest of the eighth in line to the British throne is seismic. Senior royals are now in uncharted waters that they are ill-equipped to navigate.
They will have to answer questions about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and be held accountable, something which, up until now, has been an alien concept for them.
Watch: Why Andrew’s arrest is ‘ghastly’ for King Charles
Royal commentator Alastair Bruce has explained why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest will be ‘ghastly’ for King Charles as he reacted to the bombshell developments today.
Hear his thoughts below:
Police searches carried out at Royal Lodge
Police searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor, are ongoing.
Officers can be seen at the gates of the sprawling property, while the press are being kept at an outer entrance.
A police spokesperson at the scene confirmed that the search is ongoing within the property.
Walkers and families are continuing to wander through the surrounding Windsor Great Park.
Gordon Brown submits new information to police after Andrew’s arrest
Former prime minister Gordon Brown has revealed he has sent new information to police in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest earlier today.
Mr Brown, who led the UK from 2007 to 2010, said:
I have submitted a five-page memorandum to the Metropolitan, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and other relevant UK police constabularies.
This memorandum provides new and additional information to that which I submitted last week to the Met, Essex and Thames Valley police forces where I expressed my concern that we secure justice for trafficked girls and women.
Mr Brown has previously police to interview Andrew as part of a new investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his ‘Lolita Express’ private jet.
William and Kate show support for King following Andrew statement
The Prince and Princess of Wales have expressed their support for the King’s statement following the arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Prince William and Princess Catherine approve of King Charles’ words issued this morning, the Press Association understands.
The King has said ‘the law must take its course’ after expressing his ‘deepest concern’ over the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Charles III revealed that the police would have his ‘wholehearted support and co-operation’ after his younger brother was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The Prince and Princess of Wales also support the King’s unprecedented statement following the arrest of William’s uncle Andrew at Sandringham on Thursday.
Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer: Andrew’s arrest marks ‘monumental moment’ for Epstein survivors
Virginia Giuffre pictured arriving at a court in New York in 2019
A lawyer who represented Virginia Giuffre and other victims of Jeffrey Epstein hailed the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a ‘monumental moment’ for survivors.
Sigrid McCawley, who was assigned to represent Ms Giuffre in 2014, said in a statement:
This is truly a monumental moment in the Epstein survivor’s relentless pursuit of justice.
Virginia Guiffre worked for years to shine a light on the crimes being committed by Epstein and his co-conspirators and to send the message that no one should be above the law and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor today is a step toward that accountability
Share or comment on this article:
King Charles reacts to Andrew’s bombshell arrest as police raid homes in Windsor and Sandringham: Live updates
Close up image of a tablet screen displaying a portrait of Jeffrey Epstein beside the official U.S. Department of Justice website page titled Epstein Library in Washington District of Columbia United States on February 11, 2026.
Veronique Tournier | Afp | Getty Images
The recent release by the Department of Justice of millions of pages of emails and other documents related to the notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein has led to a wave of resignations and other uncomfortable fallout for high-profile people around the world whose dealings with him have been exposed.
Those individuals include the top lawyer at the major investment bank Goldman Sachs, the CEO of Dubai’s largest port, a former president of Harvard University, a former U.S. president and ex-secretary of State, and the chairman of a leading American corporate law firm.
The fallout from the Epstein files and people mentioned in them has even imperiled the government of United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, even though the Labour Party leader never knew the convicted sex offender.
Epstein, who cultivated relationships with many rich and powerful men and women, pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to state criminal charges related to soliciting prostitution, with one charge related to a girl under the age of 18.
He ended up serving 13 months in prison in that case, but was allowed to go to his office many days for work.
In August 2019, Epstein killed himself in a jail in New York City, weeks after being arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges.
A number of the people who have resigned their jobs in recent weeks had friendly dealings with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, which was widely publicized at the time.
Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not mean that someone was implicated in any of the crimes that he previously pleaded guilty to, or was later charged with. No one on the list of names compiled by CNBC of those affected by their association with Epstein has been charged for such conduct.
Here are some high-profile figures who have been burned by their appearances in the Epstein files:
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (L), Kathryn Ruemmler (C), Brad Karp (R)
Reuters | Getty Images | Getty Images
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem: CEO of DP World
Sulayem resigned as CEO of Dubai’s largest port operator on Feb. 13, after leading the company for 10 years. Documents showed Epstein once referring to Sulayem as one of his “most trusted friends.” CNBC has reached out to the government of Dubai Media Office and DP World, seeking comment from Sulayem, who to date has not issued a statement on the situation.
Kathryn Ruemmler: Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs
Ruemmler, a former White House counsel under then-President Barack Obama, announced her resignation from Goldman Sachs on Feb. 12, effective at the end of June. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ruemmler was one of three people Epstein called when he was arrested in July 2019. She once thanked Epstein after receiving luxury gifts from him, calling him “Uncle Jeffrey.” Ruemmler told the Journal in January: “As I have said, I regret ever knowing him, and I have enormous sympathy for the victims of Epstein’s crimes.”
Brad Karp: Chairman of Paul Weiss
Karp resigned as chairman of Paul Weiss on Feb. 4, after leading the major corporate law firm since 2008. Files show Karp thanking Epstein for a “once in a lifetime” evening in 2015, and asking if he could help his son land a job on a Woody Allen film in 2016. Days before he resigned, Paul Weiss issued a statement to The New York Times saying, “Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email, all of which he regrets.”
David Gelernter (L), Bill and Hillary Clinton (C-R)
AP (L) | Getty Images (R)
David Gelernter: Yale University computer science professor
Gelernter was barred from teaching classes at Yale on Feb. 11 as the university conducts a review of his relationship with Epstein. Gelernter had extensive email communications with Epstein, which included one 2011 missive in which the professor recommended a Yale student for a project, referring to her as a “small goodlooking blonde.” Gelernter has not responded to CNBC’s requests for comment after Yale took action.
Bill Clinton: Former U.S. president
Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times in 2002 and 2003, and was photographed in casual social settings with Epstein and the sex offender’s now-convicted procurer, Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton initially resisted a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee to testify about Epstein, but agreed to appear after it threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress. Clinton is due to testify on Feb. 27. Clinton’s spokesman in 2019 issued a statement saying, “President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.” Clinton on Feb. 7 retweeted a post on X from his spokesman that said, “What DOJ has released thus far, and the manner in which it has done so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected. We don’t know who, what, or why. We do know this: we need no such protection. It’s why only the Clintons have called for a public hearing.”
Hillary Clinton: Former secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, who is married to the former president, has said she does not recall ever speaking to Epstein. Despite that, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed her to testify for its inquiry into the predator. Like former President Clinton, the former secretary of State initially refused to appear, but then agreed to testify on Feb. 26 after being threatened with a contempt finding. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, Clinton again called for the release of all of the Epstein files, saying, “It is something that needs to be totally transparent,” The Independent reported. “I’ve called for many, many years for everything to be put out there so people can not only see what’s in them but also, if appropriate, hold people accountable. We’ll see what happens,” she said.
Lord Peter Mandelson (L), Morgan McSweeney (C), Larry Summers (R)
Mandelson was fired by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sep. 12 and resigned from the Labour Party on Feb. 2 over his ties to Epstein. Mandelson wrote a note in Epstein’s 50th Birthday Book, addressing him as “my best pal,” and has been accused of sending Epstein market-sensitive government information following the 2008 financial crisis. Mandelson, in comments to the Financial Times in February 2025, said, “I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell.” He also said, “I regret even more the hurt he caused to many young women. I’m not going to go into this. It’s an FT obsession and frankly you can all f— off. OK?”
McSweeney resigned Feb. 11, taking responsibility for Starmer’s appointment of Mandelson as ambassador. McSweeney told reporters, “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong,” adding that the former ambassador “damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”
Larry Summers: OpenAI board member and former Harvard University president
Summers announced in November that he would step back from public commitments, including serving as a board member at the artificial intelligence company OpenAI and teaching classes as a professor at Harvard. The former Treasury secretary was named as a backup executor in a 2014 version of Epstein’s will. Summers, in a statement in November, said, “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (L), Sarah Ferguson (C), Jack Lang (R)
Getty Images
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: Former prince, Duke of York
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was stripped of his titles and mansion in a statement from Buckingham Palace on Oct. 30. Mountbatten-Windsor settled a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing, and is being investigated by authorities in London for claims that he sent Epstein confidential trade documents. In a 2019 statement, Mountbatten-Windsor said, “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
Ferguson’s charity, Sarah’s Trust, which focused on improving the lives of women and children, announced on Feb. 2 that it would be shutting down. The ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor described Epstein as “a legend” and “the brother I have always wished for” in emails long after his first conviction in 2008. In a statement to the Guardian last September, a spokesperson for Ferguson said, “The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.”
Jack Lang: President of the Arab World Institute and former Culture minister of France
Lang, the highest-profile figure in France affected by the files, resigned as president of the Arab World Institute on Feb. 7 after leading the cultural center since 2013. Lang was mentioned more than 600 times in newly released files dating back to 2012 when he was introduced to Epstein by their mutual friend Woody Allen, according to The New York Times. French authorities have said they are investigating reports of financial connections between Lang and Epstein, with the financial prosecutor’s office probing Lang and his daughter, Caroline, on suspicion of “aggravated tax fraud laundering.” Lang has called the allegations against him “baseless,” and said the investigation “will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour.” His daughter denies any wrongdoing.
Juul resigned on Feb. 8 after Norway’s foreign ministry suspended her earlier in the week. She resigned after reports that her children and husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, were left $10 million in a will written by Epstein two days before his suicide. Juul said in early February that she had contact with Epstein through Rød-Larsen, but also said that she “should have been much more careful.”
Miroslav Lajčák: National security advisor to the prime minister of Slovakia and former president of the UN General Assembly
Lajčák resigned Jan. 31 after serving four Slavic governments. Messages from 2018 show Lajčák discussing women with Epstein, writing, “Why don’t you invite me for these games? I would take the ‘MI’ girl.” Lajčák reportedly told Radio Slovakia, “When I read those messages today, I feel like a fool.” He said in the same interview that he had shown “poor judgment and inappropriate communication … Those messages were nothing more than foolish male egos in action, self-satisfied male banter.” He added, “There were no girls … the fact that someone is communicating with a sexual predator does not make him a sexual predator.”
David Ross: Chair of New York’s School of Visual Arts
Ross, formerly the director of the Whitney Museum, resigned as the chair of the Master of Fine Arts in art practice at SVA on Feb. 3. Ross called Epstein “incredible” after he suggested an exhibit featuring girls and boys aged 14-25 titled “Statutory.” Ross told The New York Times that he regretted being “taken in” by Epstein’s claim that he had been the victim of a political frame-up because of his connection to Bill Clinton. “I continue to be appalled by his crimes and remain deeply concerned for its many victims,” he told the Times.
Rubinstein announced her resignation on Feb. 2 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees after documents unveiled a 2012 family visit to Epstein’s private island. In an email, Rubinstein thanked Epstein for “an afternoon in paradise” on behalf of her children and herself. “I was aware of the verdict at the time of the visit. What has subsequently emerged about the extent of the abuse is appalling and something I strongly distance myself from,” Rubinstein told the Swedish newspaper Expressen.
Casey Wasserman:Founder, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman talent agency; Chairman of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Wasserman, owner of a high-profile talent and marketing agency and the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, began the process of selling his company after emails between him and Maxwell from over 20 years ago were made public. Following the revelations, several clients, including Grammy winner Chappell Roan, announced they were leaving the agency. Wasserman said he “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” and that he’d “become a distraction” in a memo to his staff, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Journal also reported, citing people familiar with the situation, that the committee organizing the LA Olympic Games had voted unanimously to keep Wasserman as chairman.
Steve Tisch: Chairman and co-owner of the New York Giants
The National Football League announced Feb. 2 that it will look into Tisch, a former film producer who has been the Giants’ executive vice president since 2005. Tisch was named over 400 times in the files, with one document showing that he asked Epstein whether women were “pro or civilian.” In a January statement to ESPN, Tisch said, “We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments.” Tisch added, “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
Thorbjorn Jagland, Jes Staley, and Alex Acosta.
Stian Lysberg Solum | AFP | Tayfun Salci | Anadolu | Getty Images | Alex Brandon | AP
Jagland was charged with “aggravated corruption” on Feb. 12 after a police probe into his ties with Epstein. Jagland, who served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997, is being investigated to see whether “gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position,” according to investigators. A 2014 email shows a planned visit for Jagland and his family to Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jagland’s lawyers have said he “denies all the charges.”
Jes Staley: CEO of Barclays
Staley served as CEO of Barclays from October 2015 until his resignation in late 2021. Staley’s departure followed a probe by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority into his relationship with Epstein. The regulator fined him more than $2 million and permanently banned him from holding a management role in the sector in 2023. In 2020, Staley said, “Obviously I thought I knew him well and I didn’t. For sure, with hindsight with what we know now, I deeply regret having any relationship with Jeffrey.”
Alex Acosta: U.S. Labor secretary
Acosta announced his resignation in a letter to President Donald Trump on July 12, 2019, following controversy over his striking a federal non-prosecution deal with Epstein in 2008 when he was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Acosta defended that deal — which had required Epstein to plead guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution — in six hours of testimony in September to the House Oversight Committee. “I testified for six hours. I’ll let the record speak for itself,” Acosta said after the hearing.
— CNBC’s Garrett Downs contributed to this report.
WATCH: Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick admits visiting Epstein island during family vacation
