In two reports about the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes and accused of trafficking minors, Le Monde sheds light on how Epstein succeeded in weaving a global network that allowed him to infiltrate elite ranks. The article emphasizes the intentional judicial negligence that surrounded Epstein's cases in court.

The first report, by correspondent Arnaud Leparmentier, provides a detailed analysis of Epstein's successful construction of a powerful influence network. By drawing parallels between Epstein and the character of Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, the article illustrates how both figures utilized their wealth and enigmatic personas to gain access to high society, further highlighting the silence that surrounded them.

Le Monde clarifies that the comparison with Gatsby is not to justify Epstein's crimes against children but rather to understand how an individual from a humble background could achieve such widespread influence. Born in Brooklyn in 1953 to a modest Jewish family, Epstein managed to create a web of connections that raised alarming questions about societal complicity in allowing his actions to go unchecked for so long.