Mega Edition: Leon Black And Dartmouth (5/5/26)

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversy surrounding billionaire Leon Black's ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the implications for Dartmouth College.

Leon Black, a billionaire financier and Dartmouth alumnus, has faced growing scrutiny over his long and lucrative association with Jeffrey Epstein — scrutiny that has extended to his alma mater. Black and his wife donated $48 million to Dartmouth College, funding the Black Family Visual Arts Center, which bears their name. However, revelations that Black paid Epstein $158 million for “tax and estate planning services” between 2012 and 2017 — years after Epstein’s conviction for sex crimes — sparked outrage within the Dartmouth community. Critics argued that maintaining Black’s name on campus was incompatible with the college’s stated values. Epstein had also been listed as a trustee on Black’s family foundation, further entangling the financier’s legacy with that of the disgraced predator. The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous feminist art collective known for holding cultural institutions accountable for gender and racial justice, publicly challenged Black over his ties to Epstein. They canceled a book deal with Phaidon Press (which is owned by Black) upon learning of his “extensive and shady dealings” with Epstein. They also led campaigns urging MoMA to remove Black from its board…

People in this episode

Host: Bobby Capucci

Topics covered

• Leon Black
• Dartmouth College
• Jeffrey Epstein
• philanthropy
• cultural accountability
• art institutions
• sexual misconduct

Keywords

• Leon Black
• Dartmouth College
• Jeffrey Epstein
• Guerrilla Girls
• philanthropy
• MoMA
• cultural accountability
• sexual misconduct

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dartmouth College, Guerrilla Girls, Phaidon Press, MoMA

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