The Arab World Institute in Paris was raided by French police on Monday as part of an investigation into former culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline. This action follows revelations of Lang’s name appearing numerous times—over 600—in documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office in France indicated that the inquiry into the Langs for “aggravated tax evasion and laundering” started on February 6, prompting searches at several locations. Jack Lang, who is now 86, resigned shortly before this incident. He has been affiliated with the Arab World Institute since 2013 and his name reportedly surfaced 673 times in communications with Epstein from 2012 to 2019, as detailed in emails released by the Justice Department.
Reports indicate that Lang had sought favors from Epstein, including access to private vehicles and flights for himself and family members. Caroline Lang is also mentioned in relation to Prittany LLC, a company established by Epstein in the Virgin Islands in 2016.
The Arab World Institute positions itself as a “symbol of cooperation between France and 21 Arab nations.” It aims to foster dialogues among cultures that have historically interacted closely.
A preliminary investigation is honing in on Prittany LLC, where Caroline Lang is said to hold a 50% stake. This company reportedly has $1.4 million in its account, intended for supporting young artists.
Caroline, who works as a film producer, took on a role leading an independent production union in January but stepped down after just three weeks. She described Epstein as an “acquaintance” and portrayed him as “incredibly naive,” stating that she did not benefit from the associated fund.
Interestingly, she also appeared in a will Epstein allegedly signed two days before his death in 2019, in which he promised her $5 million. Caroline claims she was unaware of this will and has not received any funds.
Jack Lang, who served as France’s Minister of Culture during two separate terms, is credited with initiating France’s annual music festival. He claims to have met Epstein through Woody Allen roughly 15 years ago, and he describes the accusations against him as “baseless.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu have asked Lang to report to the Foreign Ministry ahead of his resignation. Reports indicate that Paris prosecutors are forming a special team to review Epstein’s files and coordinate with financial prosecutors and national police to investigate multiple potential cases.
