Epstein Files Reveal Friendship with SVA Chair David A. Ross

Correspondence shows close relationship between disgraced financier and museum director

Feb. 3, 2026 at 4:31pm

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Newly released documents from the Justice Department's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein reveal a close friendship between the late disgraced financier and David A. Ross, a prominent museum director who currently chairs the art practice program at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA). The correspondence shows Epstein and Ross exchanged numerous messages over several years, with Ross at times appearing to seek financial support from Epstein for an online magazine he was involved with.

Why it matters

The revelations about Ross's relationship with Epstein raise questions about the museum director's judgment and ethics, given Epstein's history of sexual abuse and exploitation. As a leader in the art world, Ross's connections to Epstein could undermine public trust and tarnish the reputations of the institutions he has been associated with over the years.

The details

The documents show that Ross and Epstein's friendship dated back to at least 1995, when Ross was director of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In 2009, Epstein discussed funding an exhibition with Ross that would feature 'Girls and boys ages 14 – 25, where they look nothing like their true ages.' Ross responded enthusiastically, referencing a controversial Richard Prince artwork. Other emails from 2009 suggest Ross sought financial support from Epstein for an online magazine he was involved with. The correspondence continued through 2015, with Ross at one point telling Epstein he was 'still proud to call you a friend' despite Epstein's legal troubles.

  • In July 1995, Ross's name appeared on a flight log signed by pilot David Rodgers in connection with a flight from Teterboro Airport to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • In 2009, Ross and Epstein exchanged numerous emails discussing exhibitions, an online magazine, and other matters.
  • In 2015, Ross wrote to Epstein saying he was 'still proud to call you a friend' despite Epstein's legal troubles.

The players

David A. Ross

A writer and curator who has led museums nationwide, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has been the chair of the MFA art practice program at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) since 2009.

Jeffrey Epstein

A disgraced financier who died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

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What they’re saying

“This would be a very owerful [sic] and freaky book. Do you know that total porno commercial kiddie picture of Brooke Shields that Richard Prince appropriated for an exhibition in the early 1980s?”

— David A. Ross, Museum Director

“Glad the nightmare is over, Jeffrey. it was an undeserved punishment foisted upon you by jealous creeps.”

— David A. Ross, Museum Director

What’s next

The revelations about Ross's relationship with Epstein may prompt further scrutiny of the museum director's past actions and associations. It remains to be seen whether this will impact Ross's current position at the School of Visual Arts or his standing in the art world.

The takeaway

The Epstein files have shed new light on the disgraced financier's connections to influential figures in the art community, raising troubling questions about the judgment and ethics of those who associated with him despite his well-known history of sexual abuse and exploitation.