Jack Lang, the former French culture minister, stepped down as president of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris after his name surfaced in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files, according to the Guardian.
Lang, who served two terms as culture minister under President François Mitterrand, resigned on Saturday amid mounting scrutiny. He had led the Institut du Monde Arabe since 2013.
The immediate catalyst was a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice on January 30. In those files, Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, appear among hundreds of public figures whose names are connected in some way to Epstein’s vast web of contacts. Both have denied wrongdoing.
Their inclusion in the files does not in itself suggest any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Still, the fallout in France was swift.
Prosecutors announced that they had opened a preliminary investigation into Jack and Caroline Lang for alleged “aggravated tax fraud money laundering,” a move that increased political pressure. Lang was reportedly summoned to the French Foreign Ministry at the request of President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Rather than wait for that meeting, he chose to resign.
In a letter explaining his decision, Lang described the current atmosphere as toxic and said he was stepping aside to shield the institution from further harm. Speaking to Agence France-Presse, he called the accusations “baseless” and said he welcomed the investigation because it would confirm that he had done nothing wrong.
The attention has centered in part on Caroline Lang’s past business dealings. Files show that in 2016 she partnered with Epstein in a company called Pyrtanée LLC, which was described as focusing on acquiring works by emerging French artists.
She has said she was introduced to Epstein by Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn in 2012 and characterized her involvement as naïve. She told investigators that she did not invest in or receive funds from the US Virgin Islands–registered company and that its legal and financial structures were handled by Epstein’s lawyers.
As scrutiny intensified, she resigned from her role as managing director of France’s Independent Producer Syndicate and from the board of the TV festival Series Mania.
Jack Lang’s stature makes the episode especially striking. As culture minister in the 1980s and early 1990s, he was instrumental in expanding access to the arts and launched the annual Fête de la Musique, now celebrated worldwide.
His leadership at the Institute du Monde Arabe had become part of that legacy, positioning him as a bridge between France and the Arab world. His resignation closes a chapter that stretches back to the early Mitterrand years.
Lang confirmed to the French press that he had met Epstein years ago and said he was shocked when the financier’s crimes became public. He has framed the relationship as casual and insists he never received funds tied to Epstein’s activities.
Epstein embedded himself in the cultural sphere and had myriad connections to the art world. He maintained a personal art collection, engaged with collectors such as Ronald Lauder and Leon Black, and corresponded with figures across museums, universities, and galleries. His network also extended to board members of institutions like the New York Academy of Art and to major donors linked to museums and research centers.
