Newly released emails from the Department of Justice reveal that Jeffrey Epstein, already a convicted sex offender, personally invited groups of young women to a prestigious Harvard-linked gala in New York, raising questions about the nature of his attendance at the elite event.
The emails show Epstein leveraging his status as a major donor to the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770, a student-founded institution at Harvard University, to secure a prime table at the Order of the Golden Sphinx gala. By donating at least $50,000 annually, Epstein qualified as a "Guardian of the Sphinx," granting him prominent seating from 2013 to 2019 at the high-profile gathering attended by celebrities, business leaders, and cultural figures.
One email from Epstein's assistant in 2015 explicitly targeted female acquaintances: "Hello girls! Jeffrey would like you all to attend the Hasty Pudding Gala on April 13 at the Plaza Hotel," it read. "Let me know if you can go and who else we can invite to make the 10 (with JE approval of course ;)" The correspondence indicates Epstein regularly filled his table with such invitees.
Another message encouraged a guest to "wear a fancy dress and shoes!" for the occasion, underscoring the social allure of the event at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
Epstein's final invitation to the gala came just months before he faced federal sex-trafficking charges, after which he died in prison. Despite his prior conviction, he continued substantial donations to the Hasty Pudding Institute, maintaining his access to the event.
The disclosures suggest Epstein integrated respected institutions, including elite universities like Harvard, into his social network. Correspondence referenced in the emails extends to Harvard professors, donors, and campus groups, indicating broader institutional ties than previously known.
