Long after Jeffrey Epstein had earned notoriety as a convicted sex offender, the financier continued to rub shoulders with Harvard's elite social circles, donating tens of thousands of dollars annually to the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 and filling his gala table with young women, according to newly released Department of Justice documents.
The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770, a non-profit organization founded by Harvard University students, serves as an umbrella for a social club, theatre troupe, and a cappella singers. Epstein's contributions positioned him among the top supporters of these prestigious groups, even as his past criminal record became public knowledge.
From at least 2013 to 2019, Epstein made annual donations of at least US$50,000, earning him the title of “Guardian of the Sphinx” at the Order of the Golden Sphinx galas held in New York. These events drew celebrities, billionaires, and cultural luminaries, providing Epstein with a platform to maintain high-society connections.
Documents from the DOJ, including emails from Epstein's assistant, reveal how he routinely invited female acquaintances to fill his table at these galas. His final invitation arrived just months before he faced federal sex-trafficking charges, after which he died by hanging in a Manhattan prison.
In a 2015 email, Epstein's assistant wrote to a group of redacted recipients: “Hello girls! Jeffrey would like you all to attend the Hasty Pudding Gala on April 13 at the Plaza Hotel.” The message continued, “Let me know if you can go and who else we can invite to make the 10 (with JE approval of course ;)”
To one potential invitee, the assistant added an enticing note about the opportunity to “wear a fancy dress and shoes!” These communications underscore Epstein's efforts to curate an all-female entourage for the high-profile event at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
The disclosures from the DOJ files highlight the persistence of Epstein's influence in elite Harvard-affiliated circles years after his 2008 conviction for sex crimes, raising questions about the oversight of major donors to student-founded organizations.
