Question
What was Epstein’s connection to Stephen Hawking?
Answer
Stephen Hawking, the renowned theoretical physicist, attended a scientific conference in 2006 in the U.S. Virgin Islands that was arranged or supported by Jeffrey Epstein. The conference was held on St. Thomas (the larger island neighboring Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James), and featured multiple prominent scientists.
A photograph of Hawking in what appeared to be a submersible chamber circulated widely after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, with some suggesting this was a connection that required explanation. The photo was from the St. Thomas conference.
Hawking died in March 2018, so he was not alive to comment when public scrutiny of Epstein intensified in 2019. His foundation issued a statement noting that the 2006 conference was a legitimate scientific event attended by many researchers, that Hawking had no ongoing personal relationship with Epstein, and that Hawking was unaware of the nature of Epstein’s activities.
The Stephen Hawking connection is a minor strand in the broader story of Epstein’s use of scientific philanthropy to cultivate prestige. Like other scientists who attended Epstein-funded or Epstein-adjacent events, Hawking’s presence was used by Epstein to burnish his scientific credibility, not the other way around.
No credible reporting has suggested Hawking was aware of, or complicit in, Epstein’s criminal conduct.
Sources
- Photographs and conference records from 2006 Virgin Islands event
- Stephen Hawking Foundation statement, 2019
- New York Times coverage of Epstein’s scientific network