Newly released documents show that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used his influence to help a Russian woman he was romantically involved with obtain employment at a prestigious New York-based policy organization.
Correspondence uncovered in court filings indicates Epstein communicated directly with the former president of the International Peace Institute, Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, about the woman’s career prospects. The records also suggest Epstein helped cover portions of her compensation.
The IPI, a nonprofit research organization focused on global cooperation, particularly within the United Nations framework, faced previous scrutiny over Epstein’s ties. Rød-Larsen stepped down in 2020 after it emerged he had accepted a personal loan from Epstein and allowed multiple donations from him to flow into the institute.
At the time, the IPI board condemned the association, stating it was “repugnant to the institution’s core values” and pledging to audit and re-donate any funds received from Epstein.
The woman began as an intern at IPI in 2016. By early 2018, she was pressing Epstein to intervene with Rød-Larsen about a full-time position. In one exchange, she asked him to update her after speaking with Rød-Larsen so she could navigate conversations with human resources. Shortly after, she signed a contract.
IPI’s 2018 annual report lists her as an external relations assistant. The woman also appears in communications between Epstein and former Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, a Rød-Larsen associate who frequently spoke at IPI events. Lajčák resigned as a presidential advisor after a massive document release revealed his extensive messages with Epstein about young women.
In March 2018, Epstein told Lajčák the woman was educated at The New School, worked on water issues, and that he would subsidize her involvement in a water project if needed. Lajčák agreed to arrange it. The woman later thanked Epstein, and an article on water diplomacy bearing her name appeared on IPI’s Global Observatory blog.
Records paint a picture of a longtime intimate relationship. The woman visited Epstein’s home regularly, gave him massages, and frequently requested money for rent, bills, food, beauty treatments, and clothing. Epstein covered some of her educational expenses, provided a credit card, sent $10,000 to her father in Siberia, and even helped select her work attire.
She referred to Epstein by the nickname “Sneaky” and thanked him for vacations and introductions to influential contacts. She also introduced him to other women she thought he would find appealing.
In February 2019, IPI Vice President Adam Lupel sent Rød-Larsen a summary of the woman’s compensation history. Rød-Larsen forwarded it to Epstein. The document showed she started as an intern, then became a full-time employee earning $45,000 annually plus benefits. After visa complications ended her employment, the email suggested she be rehired part-time under “Gunbat’s sponsorship”—though it remains unclear who that refers to.
Epstein forwarded the email to the woman but appended a fabricated, lewd comment attributed to Lupel, asking if it was acceptable for him to have sex with her. The woman initially questioned why IPI included her internship earnings, noting she only began receiving pay “from the funding you gave me in January 2018.” She then noticed Epstein’s fake addition and responded playfully, calling him a “sneaky dog.”