Epstein Files Expose Patriarchal Networks: Women as Organizers, Men as Power Brokers
The Department of Justice's Epstein Library, containing millions of emails, reveals a starkly patriarchal world where powerful men cultivate influence while women exist at the periphery, providing services, organizing logistics, or serving as objects of exchange. This unprecedented cache of communications offers a rare glimpse into the private behavior of a global male elite, showcasing how networks of power operate through flattery, favor-trading, and the systematic exclusion of women from meaningful participation.
A World of Male Power and Female Periphery
In one illustrative email from February 2013, Jeffrey Epstein messages Bill Gates's assistant to organize a dinner, listing ten powerful men including the UN secretary-general, film director Woody Allen, and the prime minister of Qatar. He tentatively adds "victoria secret models?" after clarifying that his suggestion of actress Anne Hathaway is "really" not a joke. This exchange typifies the files' portrayal of a hierarchy where men are the central actors, and women are afterthoughts, tolerated for their decorative or functional roles.
The emails consistently depict women in limited capacities: as personal assistants organizing diaries and snacks, as providers of sex, or as individuals to be physically improved. Epstein once advised an unnamed woman in July 2017 to "see a doctor about reducing the nose a little before you turn 23." Women feature as objects to be managed, with Epstein often expressing irritation at their behavior, such as accusing a long-term girlfriend of "crying and whining" for wanting to attend his dinners with powerful men.
Women as Organizers and Service Providers
Lesley Groff, Epstein's long-term executive assistant, emerges as a key figure in maintaining this patriarchal system. She tirelessly coordinates schedules, travel, and logistics for Epstein's meetings with influential men like Larry Summers, reminding colleagues to prepare snacks because "Larry is VIP!" Simultaneously, she handles arrangements for the women Epstein moves around the world, booking flights, sorting visas, and ensuring payments with messages like "purchased on JE's Black Amex!!"
Groff's dual-track service exemplifies how women facilitate male networking while remaining invisible. When Epstein impulsively decides to organize seminars on power and money in 2012, listing attendees like Jeff Bezos and Bill Clinton with no women included, Groff responds chirpily, "Great. I will keep track." Her lawyers have previously stated she "never witnessed anything improper or illegal," yet her role underscores how patriarchal systems rely on female labor to function smoothly.
Uninhibited Male Communication and Indifference
Without women observing, the men communicate in unchecked, frat-boy-style tones. In November 2013, Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem messages Epstein about "the Ukrainian and the Moldavian," complaining the latter is "not as attractive as the picture." Epstein suggests "Photo shop," to which Bin Sulayem replies, "Not only that she was too short and skinny." This objectifying banter is commonplace, with messages frequently referencing "pussy" or using coy initials like "lots of P" in sign-offs.
Perhaps more chilling is the routine indifference displayed toward women. When arranging a 2013 lunch on Richard Branson's Necker Island, Epstein's assistants ask if he can bring Gates's assistant and two Russian girls without UK visas. Branson replies within minutes, "that's fine. Best, Richard," showing no curiosity about their identities or why a convicted sex offender is bringing them. This casual acceptance highlights how women are often treated as interchangeable commodities in these circles.
Networking Through Favors and Flattery
The files reveal how patriarchy operates daily through the exchange of favors and flattery. Men message endlessly about their locations and schedules, with exchanges like "Are you in NY? Would be great to catch up. I'm in SF/LA til Wed." They trade connections openly, such as Epstein offering Steve Bannon an introduction to Noam Chomsky in 2019 in exchange for reputational advice. Favors range from helping secure jobs for sons to editing Wikipedia pages to remove references to sex offenses.
Philanthropy is cynically used to extend influence networks, with women like Sarah Ferguson appearing as anomalies in this male-dominated world. Behind the scenes, Epstein manages the women in his life with controlling advice, telling one to attend tantric sex classes and mocking "whore moans" when discussing hormone tests. The files underscore that women are expected to conform without complaint, as one woman lamented, "I dressed like u told me. I did my hair style like u asked... I danced even if I didn't feel like to dance."
Beyond the sordid details of Epstein's crimes, these files offer a masterclass in modern patriarchy: a system where men cultivate power through mutual admiration and favor-trading, while women are relegated to supporting roles, their agency limited to organizing, providing, or being objectified. The Epstein Library thus serves as a stark reminder of the enduring structures that exclude women from the tables where real decisions are made.
