Opinion Opinion Opinion Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Epstein Op-Ed Eric Fassin Sociologist The sociologist describes the Epstein case as 'a circle of male power that is closing ranks against feminist politics.' By exercising this violent domination, money, sexuality, knowledge and relationships become interchangeable forms of capital. Published on March 14, 2026, at 1:43 am (Paris), updated on March 14, 2026, at 1:45 am 4 min read Lire en français Subscribers only In the 1991 novel American Psycho, the name Trump appears 30 times. The billionaire fascinates the narrator, Patrick Bateman, the archetypal Wall Street figure. Bret Easton Ellis's fiction is a satire of a circle of young men obsessed with the signs of material success, from elaborate business cards to luxury clothing brands, all markers of social achievement. They would do anything for a table at the fashionable restaurants where Trump dines, though the ultimate prize is to be invited to his parties. Work is never mentioned; their schedules are as empty as their lives. To be rich is to mingle with a select group of wealthy people where everyone has a "perfect body." Jealousy vies with admiration; what is desirable is to be envied. This club is defined by its exclusivity and, it goes without saying, all of the men are White. They display contempt for the poor, for Black people and for women. For Bateman, women are not just sexual objects in pornographic scenarios, since the narrative then follows up torture with chainsaw massacres. Bateman's senseless violence is also unleashed on a gay man and his dog, a homeless Black man, a child: The trader is a serial killer. In this new version of the "theory of the leisure class" that was critiqued by the American sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen [1857-1929] at the time of the "robber baron millionaires," ostentatious consumption now goes hand in hand with violence: Women are destined to be victims as much as trophies. This portrait of the 1980s sheds light on the Epstein files, where Trump's name appears 38,000 times. Jeffrey Epstein hardly seemed to work; or rather, he worked tirelessly to develop networks. Billionaires paid him handsomely for financial advice. It mattered little that he was not only a sexual criminal but also a notorious fraudster; everyone seemed to agree on his genius. [Former Donald Trump adviser] Steve Bannon, the ideologue of "populism" in MAGA form, interviewed Epstein, maintaining that he was a genius while marveling at such financial intelligence, even as the man spouted banalities. Because the wealthy placed their trust in him, Epstein became rich and, in turn, that wealth proved his genius. He became the emblem of financial capitalism. According to philosopher Michel Feher, this speculative system is based less on profit than on credit. The economy boils down to a shared belief: You only see what you believe. To maintain this credit, one must endlessly fuel networks in the worlds of money and politics, science and culture. You have 60.52% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.