Jeffrey Epstein and Faith Kates: What the Public Record Shows

Fast facts about the Jeffrey Epstein – Faith Kates connection

• Faith Kates is a well-known New York modeling executive and co-founder of Next Model Management, sometimes described as Next Model Management or Next Management.

• Reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s modeling-industry ties says he regularly visited Next’s New York offices and donated money to charities connected to Faith Kates and her family.

• Tax and nonprofit records described in those reports say Epstein’s foundations gave tens of thousands of dollars to Kates-linked cancer charities and later to a tennis nonprofit where her son worked.

• A 2019 investigation notes that some Next models were romantically linked to Epstein and at least one appears in his address book and flight logs; this is about the models, not about Kates herself.

• Newly released House Oversight “Epstein files” from 2025 include a Thanksgiving Day 2017 email exchange between Epstein and “Faith Kates,” where they chat about holiday plans and Epstein lists “trump” among people “down there.”

• Multiple outlets identify this email correspondent as Faith Kates, the founder of Next Model Management.

• A published op-ed by model Stacey Williams says she was introduced to Epstein at a dinner party at the request of her agent, Faith Kates, in the early 1990s.

• Public reporting notes that Kates has denied having a business relationship with Epstein, and she has not been charged with any crime in connection with his sex-trafficking case.

• There is no public evidence that Faith Kates appears in Epstein’s flight logs or “little black book” as a passenger or contact; references instead mention models from her agency.

This article summarizes what is currently reported about Faith Kates and Jeffrey Epstein. It documents emails, philanthropy, and social overlap, and it does not claim that Kates engaged in or knew about Epstein’s crimes.

Who is Faith Kates?

Faith Kates is a prominent figure in the fashion world. She co-founded Next Model Management in 1989 and built it into a major international modeling agency, known for representing high-profile fashion models and celebrities.

Public profiles and industry coverage describe her as a long-time power broker in the New York modeling scene. She has also been associated with charitable work, especially cancer-related causes and nonprofit boards tied to the fashion and modeling community.

Because Epstein cultivated contacts in fashion and entertainment, it is not surprising that a leading modeling agent like Kates would be in overlapping social and professional circles. The question is what the documents actually show about that overlap.

Epstein, Next Model Management, and the modeling world

Investigative reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s modeling ties paints a picture of broad, industry-wide connections, not just with one agency. Detailed accounts describe how Epstein moved in modeling circles beyond Victoria’s Secret and the L Brands network.

Key points from that reporting include:

• Epstein regularly visited Next Model Management’s New York office during the 2000s, according to people familiar with the agency.

• Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling scout later accused in civil suits of supplying girls to Epstein, held a stake in Next through a company called Next Management Corp.

• When Brunel’s relationship with Next soured, he and Epstein allegedly sought deals with other agencies, like Elite Paris, underscoring Epstein’s broader interest in modeling networks.

Within that broader context, Kates was a co-owner and public face of Next, but those accounts do not accuse her of participating in sex trafficking. Instead, they focus on how Epstein used access to modeling agencies, scouts, and aspiring models to build his image and meet young women.

Charitable donations and indirect financial connections

Multiple sources describe Epstein giving money to charities linked to Faith Kates and her family.

According to those summaries:

• Epstein’s foundation donated around $50,000 in 2006 to a cancer charity where Kates served as president of the board, and more funding followed in later years.

• Epstein’s later charity, Gratitude America, made a $10,000 donation in 2016 to another cancer-related nonprofit tied to Kates, and a $25,000 grant in 2017 to a tennis center where her son worked as a coach and outreach staffer.

An attorney for Kates has stressed that Epstein was one donor among many and that she solicited donations widely for her charities. The statement also emphasizes that Epstein was known for giving to many causes and that Kates had “no business connections” with him.

From a documentation standpoint, what we can say is:

• There is documented philanthropic overlap: Epstein’s money went to nonprofits where Kates or her family were involved.

• That overlap does not by itself prove a deeper business partnership or knowledge of criminal behavior. Wealthy donors often give to prominent charities, and charity boards do not always know donors personally.

The 2017 Thanksgiving email between Epstein and Faith Kates

The newly released House Oversight “Epstein files” include thousands of pages of emails from Epstein’s accounts. One of the most heavily discussed exchanges is a Thanksgiving Day 2017 email thread between Epstein and “Faith Kates.”

In plain language, the email chain shows:

• Epstein writes a friendly note wishing Kates a good holiday.

• Kates replies that she is having fun and asks when he will be back in New York.

• She then asks, in effect, “Where are you having Thanksgiving?”

• Epstein answers with a single word, “eva” – widely interpreted as a reference to Eva Andersson-Dubin, his former girlfriend and wife of billionaire Glenn Dubin.

• Kates responds with a light comment implying that this means Glenn Dubin is there too, and refers playfully to his red hair.

• When she asks who else is “down there,” Epstein lists several people by last name, including “david fizel,” “hanson,” and “trump.”

Other reporting has examined this email to see whether it proves that Donald Trump spent Thanksgiving 2017 with Epstein. Public schedules and news coverage show Trump was at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach that day, but fact-checkers say there is no direct evidence in the record that he and Epstein actually spent the holiday together.

For understanding the Epstein–Faith Kates connection, the key points are:

• The email shows that Epstein and Kates were on friendly, first-name terms in 2017.

• It also shows that she felt comfortable asking about his travel and social plans.

• The content is casual and social; it does not mention business deals, modeling contracts, or sex trafficking.

News coverage that reproduces the email identifies the correspondent as Faith Kates, founder of Next Model Management, based on her name and role in the modeling industry.

Earlier social overlap: the Stacey Williams account

In 2025, model Stacey Williams wrote an opinion piece describing how she briefly dated Epstein in the early 1990s and later came forward with allegations involving Donald Trump.

In that piece, Williams says:

• She was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein at a dinner party.

• She attended the dinner at the request of her then agent, Faith Kates.

• She describes Epstein as charming and intelligent in that early meeting, which led to a short relationship.

Williams’ account is her own firsthand narrative. It places Kates in the story as the agent who encouraged a promising model to meet a wealthy prospective client or contact. The article does not say that Kates knew about or was involved in any later abusive conduct. Instead, it reflects how common it was for modeling agents to introduce models to powerful men in finance and media.

From a documentation standpoint, this adds another piece to the Epstein–Kates picture:

• By the early 1990s, they were moving in the same social circles.

• Kates, as a successful agent, could introduce models to Epstein.

• That sort of social introduction is not unusual in the modeling world, but it helps explain how Epstein gained access to models who later reported abuse.

What we know about Faith Kates’ legal and public stance

Public reporting that discusses Faith Kates in the Epstein context consistently notes that:

• She has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein.

• Her lawyers have said she had no business relationship with Epstein beyond charitable fundraising, and that he was one donor among many who gave to the charities she supported.

Academic and legal summaries that cite the investigative work highlight a few additional points:

• Epstein’s donations to Kates-connected charities appear in public nonprofit filings, not in secret side accounts.

• The connection to Epstein is framed as philanthropic and social, not as a formal business partnership.

• The more direct trafficking allegations center on people like Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel, not on Kates.

In other words, the public record so far shows:

• Documented contact (emails, social introductions).

• Documented donations to charities linked to Kates and her family.

• No public evidence that Kates helped arrange trafficking, covered up crimes, or knew the full extent of Epstein’s abuse.

What the Epstein files do not show about Faith Kates

When reading the “Epstein files” and related coverage, it helps to be very clear about what the documents do not show in the case of Faith Kates:

• There is no public evidence that Kates appears on Epstein’s flight logs as a passenger.

• There is no clear evidence that her name appears in Epstein’s “little black book” of contacts; reporting instead focuses on Next models appearing there.

• The newly released emails show social conversation and name-dropping, but not instructions, payments, or explicit discussions of illegal activity by Kates.

That does not mean the relationship was trivial; it means that, based on what has been made public, the evidence points to social, philanthropic, and industry-network links, rather than direct involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

How to read single-name mentions in the Epstein document dumps

The Faith Kates emails are a good example of how to interpret names that appear in the Epstein trove, especially if you are doing your own Epstein files research methodology or trying to learn how to read Epstein document dumps in a careful way.

Some basic guidelines:

1. A name in an email is not proof of guilt
   Being copied on an email, listed as a contact, or mentioned in small talk is not the same as participating in a crime. With Kates, the emails show friendly conversation and holiday chatter, not explicit wrongdoing.

2. Names can be common, mis-spelled, or ambiguous
   Many people share the same name. In this case, major outlets identify the “Faith Kates” emailing Epstein as the founder of Next Model Management because that fits the context and her role in the industry. But in general, researchers should be cautious about assuming that every name refers to a famous person without corroboration.

3. Look for patterns, not one-off mentions
   A single email mention is far weaker evidence than repeated contacts, long financial trails, or sworn testimony. Faith Kates appears in a known 2017 email chain and in reporting about Epstein’s donations to her charities; that is more than a stray reference, but still far short of the pattern we see with core co-conspirators.

4. Separate social proximity from criminal participation
   Epstein surrounded himself with influential people. Some were deeply involved in his operations; others appear to have been casual acquaintances, donors, neighbors, or social contacts. The available information places Kates in the category of industry and social contact with charitable overlap, not in the group of people charged or sued as co-conspirators.

5. Document, don’t accuse
   Responsible work with these files means documenting what is actually there: dates, quotes, roles, donations, and public statements. From there, readers can draw their own conclusions. This article focuses on mapping the network, not making new accusations.

Conclusion: How strong is the Epstein–Faith Kates connection?

Taken together, the public record suggests that:

• Jeffrey Epstein and Faith Kates moved in the same New York modeling and finance circles for decades.

• Epstein visited the Next Model Management office, donated significant sums to charities tied to Kates and her family, and maintained a friendly email correspondence with her at least as late as 2017.

• A former model has said she met Epstein at a dinner party arranged by Kates as her agent, showing how agents and wealthy men were linked in the fashion world.

At the same time:

• Kates has denied having a business relationship with Epstein beyond charitable fundraising.

• She has not been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes.

• The documents and reporting now available support a picture of social and philanthropic contact, not a proven role in his sex-trafficking operation.

For researchers and readers trying to understand the web of Epstein’s relationships, the Faith Kates case is a useful example of how to balance public interest with fairness: record what the emails, donations, and testimony show; be explicit about what they do not show; and avoid treating mere proximity as proof of participation.