Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang, 86, has announced his resignation as President of the Arab World Institute (Institut du monde arabe, IMA) in Paris following a rapidly escalating controversy over his previously undisclosed ties to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The move comes amid mounting political and public pressure after the release of a trove of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice that reportedly mention Lang’s name hundreds of times in connection with Epstein. The disclosures have also brought renewed scrutiny to financial and social links between Epstein and several prominent figures.
Lang’s resignation letter, submitted to French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot, states that he intends to step down at an extraordinary upcoming board meeting to “preserve the Institute and its mission” amidst intense media attention and allegations, even as he continues to claim that no charges have been proven against him. Barrot has acknowledged the resignation and is moving forward with appointing an interim leader for the IMA.
The French Financial Prosecutor’s Office (Parquet national financier, PNF) has opened a preliminary investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, on suspicion of aggravated tax fraud and money laundering linked to their financial dealings with Epstein. Both deny any illegal conduct.
Caroline Lang, previously head of France’s Independent Production Union, also resigned from her position earlier in the week following revelations about a company she helped establish in 2016 with Epstein in an offshore jurisdiction, a move she said was intended to facilitate legal art acquisitions and from which she claimed no personal profit.
Despite the controversy, Lang has publicly stated that he “fully assumes” past relationships with Epstein, arguing that at the time of their acquaintance “nothing suggested” Epstein was involved in criminal networks. Lang insists he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminality and believes the ongoing inquiry will clear his and his daughter’s names.
Lang, a veteran figure in French cultural and political life who served as Minister of Culture and Education in the 1980s and 1990s, had led the IMA since 2013, overseeing cultural programming and institutional partnerships between France and the Arab world. His tenure is now overshadowed by the legal and reputational fallout from the Epstein files.
The case underscores the broader global repercussions of the U.S. government’s ongoing disclosures related to Epstein’s network of contacts and financial interests, which continue to implicate figures across politics, culture, and business internationally.
