A world of men and power

Millions of newly released documents expose a patriarchy in action, where women exist solely to serve Epstein's wealthy male acquaintances

- Amelia Gentleman

Pluck an email at random from the millions in the Department of Justice's Epstein Library. It is a Saturday evening in February 2013, and Jeffrey Epstein is messaging Bill Gates's assistant about guests for a dinner he wants to organise.

"People for Bill," the email begins.

Epstein starts listing possible candidates: the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the film director Woody Allen, the prime minister of Qatar, a couple of Harvard academics, the billionaire CEO of Hyatt hotels, a White House communications director, a former US secretary of defence.

He names 10 powerful men, before suggesting "Anne Hathaway (really)".

Epstein has to make it clear, with the bracketed word, that he is not joking when he proposes that a woman might join them at the table. The lists ends tentatively: "victoria secret models?" Epstein wonders: "Who on the list do you think he would enjoy the most?"

The Epstein files reveal a patriarchy in action. This is a world where the men are rich and powerful, and the women are not. The emails showcase the private behaviour of a male ruling class, as they network, joke and trade information. Women exist at the periphery, tolerated because they organise the diaries of the busy men, they arrange food, they grace a table, they provide sex.

A typical email from Epstein to a man in his network will say: "Head of the Nobel Peace Prize committee Thorbjorn Jagland will be staying in ny with me. You might find him interesting." Epstein is writing to Richard Branson in characteristic style, combining some casual showing off with an offer to share access to someone else influential.