An attorney from Goldman Sachs contacted Jeffrey Epstein for assistance in obtaining a senior role at Facebook just months before Epstein faced federal sex trafficking charges, as revealed in recently released emails.
Kathryn Ruemmler, who serves as the Chief Legal Officer at Goldman Sachs, sought Epstein’s counsel while pursuing the position from June 2018 to April 2019. These insights emerged from communications published by the Justice Department.
The correspondence indicated that Epstein crafted a letter which Ruemmler then sent to Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer at Facebook at the time.
Epstein also provided advice to Ruemmler—who was previously a white-collar criminal defense attorney at Latham & Watkins—regarding compensation negotiations and meeting strategies, according to reports.
Furthermore, the emails illustrate Epstein’s efforts to advocate for Ruemmler’s application with Larry Summers, who had previously recruited Sandberg as his chief of staff during his tenure as Treasury Secretary under President Clinton.
In one email to Summers, Epstein implied that Sandberg could benefit from Ruemmler’s expertise.
Another email from Epstein to Summers stated, “Sheryl needs Ruemmler.”
The documents also indicated that Epstein showered Ruemmler with extravagant gifts—like Hermès bags, tech gadgets, spa sessions, flights, and other luxury items.
She even remarked in one email that she was “totally fooled by Uncle Jeffrey.”
Ruemmler confided in Epstein about her romantic involvement with a married coworker, to which Epstein reassured her that she hadn’t “done anything wrong.”
While advising Epstein on media strategies, Ruemmler also helped draft a response to an investigation by the Washington Post, denying any special legal treatment and underscoring that Epstein “accepted responsibility.”
Despite the revelations in the emails, Goldman executives have continued to support Ruemmler, even amid discussions of her future at the firm. She stated, “I consider it my responsibility to continue to employ her.”
Ruemmler explained to the media, “When I negotiated with Epstein, I was his defense attorney. I came to know him in that capacity, and that shaped our professional relationship. I treated him as I would treat anyone in my line of work.”
Reports noted that while Ruemmler and Epstein were eyeing positions at Facebook, they were also exploring roles at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, as well as Goldman Sachs.
Ultimately, the talks with Facebook fell through in April 2019, only for Goldman’s president to later encourage Ruemmler to decline other offers so the firm could create an appealing package for her.
Ruemmler stressed, “I had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity on his part and was completely unaware that he had turned out to be a monster.”
She added, “These ten-year-old private emails that you selectively reference have nothing to do with my current role at Goldman Sachs. None of this will contribute to justice for Epstein’s victims. I have immense sympathy for them.”
In one email, Epstein boasted about attending a dinner with prominent figures including Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, labeling it a “wild” experience.
Regarding a dinner where he mentioned these individuals, the content surfaced in an email dated August 20, 2015, where Epstein asked billionaire Tom Pritzker about visiting New York.
Facebook’s spokesperson clarified that Zuckerberg had only met Epstein at a dinner celebrating scientists, which Epstein didn’t host, and emphasized that Zuckerberg did not reach out to Epstein afterward.
Summers has been under scrutiny for his ties to Epstein, which includes meetings with him post-2008 conviction and appearances in various public email releases.
Summers was even earmarked as a potential executor of an earlier version of Epstein’s will—a claim he denied having knowledge of, and later expressed regret over his connections with Epstein.
This fallout led Summers to resign from numerous significant roles, including his position on OpenAI’s board, and he took a leave from his teaching and leadership duties at Harvard.
Both Sandberg and Facebook’s parent company, Meta, chose not to comment, and a spokesperson for Summers was unavailable for immediate remarks.
