Jean Pigozzi

Jean “Johnny” Pigozzi is a French-Italian businessman, art collector and photographer. He was born in 1952, is the heir to the head of the Simca automobile brand — his father, Henri Pigozzi, led Simca from 1935 to 1963 — and he studied at Harvard University. He assembled the Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC), one of the world’s largest private collections of contemporary African art, and in 2019 he donated 45 works of contemporary African art to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. ARTnews similarly describes him as a major collector of African art with a focus on photography from the continent.

Pigozzi’s documented appearance in connection with Jeffrey Epstein stems from documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice. ARTnews, in a February 2026 report by Maximilíano Durón, wrote that “the latest batch of documents released by the Department of Justice as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act includes references to two leading art collectors, Steve Tisch and Jean Pigozzi,” and that the DOJ library had most recently been updated on Saturday, January 31; The Art Newspaper, in a February 4, 2026 report, described the material as coming from a January 30 DOJ release of roughly three million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. According to ARTnews, the Epstein–Pigozzi correspondence, also made in 2013, “ranges from emails in which Pigozzi asks if Epstein is planning to visit the south of France that summer to emails where the[y] discuss the appearance of different women.” In one 2013 exchange quoted by ARTnews, Pigozzi wrote, “I like the red head. Seem fun and smart,” to which Epstein replied, “german jew.” ARTnews reported that the documents also include a 2010 email chain between Pigozzi and “Gmax,” which it described as “most likely Ghislaine Maxwell,” discussing the possible sale of Pigozzi’s properties in Panama and France.

ARTnews reported Pigozzi’s response in a phone call: he said he did not remember any correspondence about a “red head,” and that regarding the prices for his Panama and France properties he was not interested in selling at the time, adding, “I gave him some ridiculous price.” Of his connections with Epstein, Pigozzi told ARTnews, “I never had anything to do with him and girls. Zero. Nothing. I also regret that I met him and Ghislaine.” He added that he found his work in the art world a more interesting subject than “these stupid emails.” The Art Newspaper likewise reported that Pigozzi characterized the emails as “stupid” and quoted him as saying, “I never had anything to do with him and girls. Zero. Nothing.”

Is Jean Pigozzi in the Epstein files?

Yes. Jean Pigozzi is named in documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which according to ARTnews include 2013 email correspondence between him and Jeffrey Epstein, as well as a 2010 email chain with an account ARTnews identified as “most likely” Ghislaine Maxwell. Pigozzi has publicly responded, telling ARTnews that he had nothing to do with Epstein and girls, that he did not recall the “red head” exchange, and that he regretted meeting Epstein and Maxwell. Being named in these documents is not evidence of any crime or wrongdoing. See the sources above for the specific, documented details.

Evidence

These passages come from the 2013 email correspondence between Pigozzi and Jeffrey Epstein in the documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act; the annotations connect them to what this profile states, including Pigozzi’s response.

Read the originals: DOJ Epstein Files (EFTA release portal) ↗

Documents

Primary-source records that reference Jean Pigozzi. Inclusion in these documents is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing; Pigozzi has said he “never had anything to do with him and girls” and that he regretted meeting Epstein and Maxwell.

• DOJ Epstein Files (EFTA release portal) — Pigozzi is named in email correspondence among the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. As reported by ARTnews and The Art Newspaper, the material includes 2013 emails between Pigozzi and Epstein and a 2010 email chain with an account the reporting identified as “most likely” Ghislaine Maxwell, discussing the possible sale of Pigozzi’s properties. Pigozzi characterized the emails as “stupid” and denied any involvement with Epstein “and girls.”