Newly released documents from the U.S. Department of Justice have revealed that Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender, used his network, personal influence, and financial contacts to secure admission for his then-girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, into the dental school of Columbia University. According to multiple reports, she reportedly inherited approximately $100 million from a trust linked to the late financier’s estate.
Epstein, who maintained relationships with numerous academic institutions before and after his 2008 conviction, appears to have intervened after an initial rejection of his girlfriend’s application, prompting a reversal and eventual acceptance into the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 2012.
The woman, described as being approximately 40 years younger than Epstein, reportedly maintained a personal relationship with him prior to his death in 2019. Details indicate she was named as a beneficiary in trust arrangements connected to Epstein’s estate.
According to internal files, Shuliak, a native of Belarus who had previously studied dentistry abroad, applied for admission to Columbia’s dental program and was initially rejected in early 2012. Shortly thereafter, Epstein engaged with university officials, including then-dean Ira Lamster and other administrators, suggesting her enrollment and indicating the possibility of substantial donations from his fund.
Emails released in the DOJ files show that Epstein and Lamster discussed Shuliak’s application, with Lamster facilitating contact with faculty and admissions personnel to assess her prior credits and potential enrollment as a transfer student.
Epstein made at least $210,000 in donations to the dental school and related initiatives, including a $100,000 gift linked to the “Ira Lamster Fund” and additional contributions in subsequent years.
The university itself has acknowledged that the process by which the student was admitted did not align with its established standards for integrity and independence in admissions decisions.
In response to the revelations, Columbia University has taken institutional actions, including:
Removing Dr. Thomas Magnani from continued affiliations with the school. Magnani is a Manhattan dentist and was a prominent fundraiser for the dental school who had communicated regularly with Epstein. The University said, Magnani has been removed from the admissions review committee and had previously stepped down from the school’s board of advisers.
Dr. Letty Moss-Salentijn stepping down from administrative roles.
Reassigning or distancing from several faculty members connected to the interactions detailed in the DOJ files.
Columbia stated that the discussions between Epstein and university associates were conducted by then-leadership of the dental school and were not reflective of direction from broader university leadership. The university has also said it intends to redirect the roughly $210,000 in gifts associated with Epstein connections to nonprofits supporting survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking.
Shuliak, who went on to graduate from Columbia’s dental program in 2015, reportedly had previously completed some dental education abroad but did not hold a U.S. degree at the time of her application.
Following her graduation, she obtained dental licensure and has been identified in additional legal and public records as a beneficiary of Epstein’s estate, receiving tens of millions from trusts established before his death in 2019.
Columbia’s statement emphasized that, to its knowledge, she has not been found responsible for any misconduct related to her admission.
(Rh)