Philosopher's Extensive Epstein Relationship Exposed
Recently disclosed court documents have revealed that the celebrated linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky maintained significantly deeper connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than previously acknowledged. Email correspondence released in November by US lawmakers shows Chomsky describing his ongoing contact with Epstein as a 'most valuable experience', despite Epstein having been convicted years earlier for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Financial Transactions and Personal Correspondence
The documents indicate that Chomsky, now 96, received approximately $270,000 from an account linked to Epstein during financial arrangements related to his first marriage. Although the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor has consistently maintained that not 'one penny' came directly from the disgraced financier, the transaction raises further questions about their relationship.
Perhaps most revealing is an undated letter of support attributed to Chomsky that begins 'to whom it may concern'. The letter, which bears Chomsky's typed signature and references his position as a University of Arizona laureate professor - a role he began in 2017 - enthusiastically describes their relationship. 'I met Jeffrey Epstein half a dozen years ago,' the letter states. 'We have been in regular contact since, with many long and often in-depth discussions ... It has been a most valuable experience for me.'
Shared Interests and Privileged Access
The correspondence reveals the pair discussed everything from musical interests to potential vacations, with Epstein even offering Chomsky use of his residences in New York and New Mexico in a 2015 email. The letter of support highlights Epstein's extensive connections, recounting how Epstein once called a Norwegian diplomat during a discussion about the Oslo agreements, facilitating what Chomsky described as a 'lively interchange'.
Epstein also arranged for Chomsky to meet former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, whom Chomsky had 'studied carefully and written about'. The document further notes Epstein's attempts to introduce Chomsky to jazz, though these efforts met with 'limited success'.
Additional personal correspondence emerged from Chomsky's second wife, Valeria Wasserman Chomsky, who in January 2017 emailed Epstein to apologise for missing his birthday. 'Hope you had a good celebration!' she wrote. 'Noam and I hope to see you again soon and have a toast for your birthday.'
Broader Implications and Institutional Responses
Chomsky isn't the only prominent academic embroiled in the Epstein scandal. Former Harvard president Larry Summers recently relinquished a teaching role at the university after his email correspondence with Epstein resurfaced. Meanwhile, MIT issued a statement confirming it had reviewed its contacts with Epstein in 2020, resulting in enhanced gift acceptance processes and donations to nonprofits supporting sexual abuse survivors.
The document release comes amid renewed public interest in the Epstein case, particularly after Donald Trump's pledge during his 2024 presidential campaign to release a full list of Epstein's clients. However, Trump's justice department later declared no such list existed, though pressure ultimately led to the signing of legislation directing the release of additional files.
Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor, serving 13 months of an 18-month sentence before being released in July 2009. He died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, with officials ruling his death a suicide.
