French politician who served as Minister of Culture (1981-1986, 1988-1993) and Minister of Education (2000-2002) under Presidents Mitterrand and Jospin. Served as President of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) from 2013 until his resignation on February 10, 2026. DOJ-released EFTA files show Lang's name appearing 673 times in correspondence with Epstein between 2012 and 2019, making him one of the most frequently mentioned French figures in the archive.
On February 6, 2026, France's Parquet National Financier (PNF) opened a preliminary investigation for "laundering of aggravated tax-fraud proceeds" targeting Lang and his daughter Caroline Lang, following reporting by French investigative outlet Mediapart detailing his close financial association with Epstein. Perquisitions (raids) were conducted on February 16, 2026, at the Institut du Monde Arabe and other locations linked to Lang. The investigation centers on the offshore company Prytanee LLC, created by Epstein in 2016 in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, where daughter Caroline held 50% of shares. Lang was also lent Epstein's private jet for a trip to Morocco in April 2017, and invited Epstein to the 30th anniversary celebration of the Louvre Pyramid in 2019. Direct email exchanges in the EFTA files span 2013 to 2018, including discussions about the Institut du Monde Arabe.
Lang maintains his innocence and announced his intention to defend himself before the courts. On February 16, 2026, French police raided the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris, which Lang had directed since 2013. The raid was part of the investigation into "laundering of aggravated tax fraud." Lang resigned under pressure from President Macron and Defense Minister Lecornu.
Separately, Epstein wired $57,000 to a French film association close to Lang for a film that was never made. The payment structure, through a legitimate cultural organization for a nonexistent project, matches the pattern of payments disguised as philanthropic or cultural support.