The Tamesis
Former French culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, are the latest art world figures to be exposed for their links to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Correspondence between Epstein and the Longs emerged in documents released Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice. Caroline Long resigned as general representative of the Federation of Independent Media Producers after her financial ties to Epstein were revealed.
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In a statement to AFP, Caroline said she severed ties with Prytanee LLC, the company she co-founded with Epstein, when she learned of Epstein’s crimes.
Jack Lang has been President of the Institute for the Arab World in Paris since 2013 and served as Culture Minister under former French President François Mitterrand from 1981 to 1986 and 1988 to 1993. He also served as Minister of National Education from 1992 to 1993 and 2000 to 2002. As Minister of Culture, he founded the 1982 Music Festival, an annual all-day public music festival.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Jack Long acknowledged that he met Epstein “about fifteen years ago” through comedian and director Woody Allen, adding that the incident occurred “without any indication that he might have been at the heart of a criminal network.”
Long requested favors, such as use of Epstein’s car or plane for himself or his family, Le Monde Reported. The latest releases also include communications between Epstein and the Lang family regarding the possible sale of a home in Morocco owned by a third party, Le Monde Report.
“When I build a friendly relationship with someone, I usually don’t ask about their criminal record,” Long said. “I trust people. I enjoy everyday encounters. That’s how my life continues to unfold. When I found out about the crimes he had committed, I was completely stunned.”
He continued, “Had I been informed of this, I would have immediately ceased all contact with him. … I am as deeply shocked by the revelations about Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities as I am today by being associated with a criminal, often through innuendo and sometimes with the clear intent to harm me. Therefore, I am determined to take legal action against anyone who spreads threatening, hateful and defamatory statements against me.”
It was revealed that Caroline Lang co-founded Prytanee in 2016 with Epstein. she tells media section Epstein “told my father and me that he wanted to invest in young French and international artists and help them. He offered to set up a fund and I said yes. I didn’t care about anything. Editorially, everything was done by Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyers.” In a statement to AFP, she described Epstein as “a cultured man with a passion for contemporary art.”
according to media sectionPrytanee had $1.4 million in her account. Long acknowledged that she failed to declare the company to French tax authorities but said she received no compensation from it. She also appeared in a will Epstein signed two days before his death, which she said she was unaware of, and which promised her $5 million.
The documents are part of about 3 million pages of additional data released on January 30. In making its announcement, the Justice Department cited the Epstein Documents Transparency Act of November 19, 2025, which requires all documents to be released by December 19, but victim advocates claim there may be millions more documents that remain secret.
