It is a sin that shakes the foundations of scientific ethics. Martin Nowak, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his generation and a pioneer in game theory and evolutionary biology, is at the center of a scandal that has now reached his native Austria. After the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in custody in 2019, the extent of a long-standing, deep friendship between the two men has become apparent.
An unprecedented event at the Austrian Academy of Sciences
There is unrest at the Seilerstätte in Vienna, the headquarters of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), as reported by ORF. No member has been expelled from the scholarly society since the end of World War II. But the “Epstein files” are now forcing the academy to take action. A specially appointed ethics committee headed by renowned theologian Ulrich Körtner is currently reviewing the membership of Martin Nowak and that of his doctoral supervisor, mathematician Karl Sigmund.
“The committee is independently reviewing the allegations based on publicly available information and a hearing,” the academy said in an official statement. While Nowak is under pressure due to the files, Sigmund himself sought a way forward: he asked the ÖAW to review his membership after it became known that he too had met Epstein – according to his own statements, however, only for professional discussions and without any funding.
The “door opener” for the predator
The allegations against Martin Nowak are more serious, as reported by ORF. The Austrian has already been suspended from Harvard. The flight logs and emails that are now accessible paint a picture of symbiosis: Epstein, the convicted sex offender, sought the glamour of science to rehabilitate his tarnished reputation. Nowak, in turn, benefited from Epstein’s enormous wealth.
Epstein contributed $6.5 million to the establishment of Nowak’s institute at Harvard. However, the connection extended far beyond the financial, with 7,000 mentions of Nowak’s name in the Epstein files and 40 meetings between 2010 and 2018, indicating frequent personal contact.
Flight data suggests that Nowak was a guest at “Little St. James” at least twice – the Caribbean island that became notorious as the scene of systematic abuse. In a highly unusual move, Epstein apparently had a key to Nowak’s institute at Harvard and maintained his own premises there. Nowak himself now expresses remorse. He says he “abhorred” Epstein’s crimes, the full extent of which he only became aware of in 2019. “I deeply regret having accepted and promoted this support,” he said in a statement.
“Disgusting” scenes in the diary
Particularly explosive is the discovery of a diary belonging to one of the victims in the files. It describes a situation in which scientists behaved “disgustingly” in the presence of the girl. Nowak is mentioned by name, but with the addition that he was visibly uncomfortable in the situation. Nowak told News magazine that he could not remember such an incident. There is currently no criminal evidence against the mathematician; the presumption of innocence applies.
A system of dependency?
The case shines a spotlight on the U.S. research system, in which elite universities such as Harvard are heavily dependent on private philanthropists. However, experts emphasize that the closeness between Nowak and Epstein exceeded any normal measure. Nowak acted as a “door opener” and organized scientific salons to connect Epstein with other luminaries.
In Austria, all eyes are now on April, when the members of the Austrian Academy of Sciences will decide on the fate of Nowak and Sigmund. Expulsion would be a historic first and a clear signal that scientific excellence is no carte blanche for moral blindness to serious crimes.