A new investigation has brought renewed scrutiny on Faith Kates, the longtime head of Next Management, over her past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Guardian reported that documents it has reviewed suggest Faith Kates’s connection to Epstein was far closer and longer-lasting than previously thought. Faith Kates resigned from her position at Next Management in November 2025 to pursue charity work but did so at a time when she was under investigation due to the release of Jeffrey Epstein documents.
Who is Faith Kates?
Faith Kates is an American model and talent agent born in 1957 and best known as the co-founder and former head of Next Management, a global modeling agency she founded in 1989 along with Jean-Luc Brunel and Joel Wilkenfeld.
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Raised in Long Island and a graduate of the University of Maryland, Kates began her career at Wilhelmina Models before building Next into one of the industry’s most influential agencies, representing names such as Alexa Chung, Milla Jovovich and Billie Eilish.
According to an investigation by The Guardian, citing US Department of Justice files, Kates had a decades-long association with Epstein and remained in contact with him even after his 2009 conviction. Next Management has since said it was unaware of the relationship and has distanced itself from her. Kates has also served as president of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, helping raise over $30 million for research.
Emails cited in the report show:
The personal support Kates continued to show Epstein even after the 2009 conviction.
Communication on business issues, including the discussion of loans worth millions of dollars.
Cases where models from her agency were reportedly introduced to Epstein.
The report also states that Epstein was known to visit the offices of Next Management, and he was in touch with Kates throughout the 2010s. However, The Guardian states that there is no evidence to suggest Kates knew about Epstein’s offending before the 2009 conviction.
Allegations involving model introductions
Several former models told The Guardian they were introduced to Epstein through industry networks linked to Kates. Some described meetings or interactions that, in hindsight, raised concerns. However, none of the models interviewed alleged direct abuse by Epstein in these specific instances.
A spokesperson for Kates denied wrongdoing, stating she had “never put a model in harm’s way” and described Epstein as “a master manipulator”.
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Next Management said it was unaware of Kates’ relationship with Epstein and is now working to sever all legal ties with its founder. “Her actions were neither authorised by nor known to Next,” a company spokesperson told The Guardian, adding that the agency is “deeply sorry” if any individuals were affected.
Business links and financial discussions
The documents also suggest Epstein offered Kates financial advice and proposed investments, including a reported $6 million loan to help her buy out company stakeholders.
Kates’ representatives said no such financial arrangements were ever finalised, and there is no evidence that Epstein held any stake in the agency.
