Conservative writer Andrew Sullivan dropped a phrase on Mark Halperin's podcast that Democrats hoped would never enter mainstream conversation.
He called them "the Epstein class."
And he wasn't talking about Trump's allies – he was talking about the ultra-wealthy liberals who spent years cozying up to a convicted sex offender while lecturing America about morality and protecting children.
Bill Gates Epstein Files Reveal The "Epstein Class" Sullivan Warned About
Sullivan warned about billionaires who've achieved "almost interplanetary separation" from ordinary Americans.
Bill Gates met with Epstein dozens of times after his 2008 conviction – flying on his private jet, attending dinners at his mansion, collaborating on a billion-dollar philanthropy scheme that would give Epstein control over charitable giving.
Gates' own wife warned him Epstein was evil, but Gates kept the relationship going until 2014.
The newly released Epstein files reveal Gates worked with Epstein for 18 months on a donor-advised fund designed to extend the Gates Foundation's influence to other billionaires.
Epstein claimed in draft emails he helped Gates obtain medication to hide a sexually transmitted infection from his wife and facilitated sexual encounters for him.
Gates denies these specific allegations but admits the meetings were a mistake – yet continued them for years after knowing Epstein was a convicted child sex offender.
His ex-wife Melinda told NPR the Epstein files brought back memories of painful times in her marriage and said Bill needs to answer for what's in those documents.
Reid Hoffman Epstein Island Visit: Democrat Megadonor's Secret Ties
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman – one of the biggest Democratic donors in America – visited Epstein's private island and maintained a friendly relationship with him for years after his conviction.
Trump ordered the DOJ to investigate Hoffman's Epstein ties.
The emails show Hoffman hosted the 2015 dinner where he connected Epstein with Mark Zuckerberg, sent gifts to Epstein, sought his financial advice, and maintained what the files describe as friendly exchanges.
This is the same Reid Hoffman who spent millions attacking Trump while maintaining a relationship with a child predator.
Hoffman now says he regrets his Epstein ties, but he kept those ties active for seven years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
Larry Summers Epstein Scandal Forces Democrat Economist To Resign
Larry Summers – Treasury Secretary under Clinton, economic advisor to Obama and Biden – called Epstein his associate and asked the convicted child sex offender for advice on pursuing younger women.
The emails reveal Summers discussing his pursuit of a woman he called his mentee with Epstein, who encouraged him and offered strategic advice.
Summers stayed in regular email contact with Epstein until the day before Epstein's 2019 arrest – 11 years after Epstein's conviction.
In one exchange, Summers joked about women's intelligence in ways that got him forced out as Harvard president decades earlier.
This is the man who shaped Democratic economic policy for three decades, who controlled billions in federal spending, who had the ear of three Democratic presidents.
Harvard forced Summers to resign from multiple positions after the emails went public, and Elizabeth Warren said he cannot be trusted with students.
Mark Zuckerberg Epstein Connection: The "Wild" Dinner Democrats Won't Discuss
After attending Reid Hoffman's dinner with Epstein in 2015, Mark Zuckerberg specifically requested Epstein's contact details.
Epstein's assistant emailed Zuckerberg's chief of staff confirming Mark requested Jeffrey send his contact information.
Hoffman then connected the two via email days later.
Epstein described the dinner in emails to other contacts using language that raised eyebrows.
This dinner happened seven years after Epstein's conviction – and Zuckerberg, who controls what three billion people see on Facebook, wanted to continue the conversation with a registered sex offender.
Meta now claims Zuckerberg never communicated with Epstein again, but the request for contact information tells a different story about who was eager to maintain access.
The Democrat Epstein Files Pattern Media Won't Report
Bill Gates: Dozens of meetings spanning years, 18-month business collaboration, flew on Epstein's plane after knowing his conviction
Reid Hoffman: Visited Epstein island, hosted dinners introducing him to other billionaires, major Democratic donor who funded anti-Trump campaigns
Larry Summers: Asked Epstein for dating advice on pursuing younger women, stayed in contact until 2019, shaped policy for Clinton, Obama, and Biden
Mark Zuckerberg: Requested Epstein's contact information after dinner, controls Facebook's algorithm and what billions see online
Katie Couric: Had dinner at Epstein's home after his conviction
The DNC: Refused to return $32,000 in donations from Epstein
These aren't Republican operatives – these are the faces of the Democratic establishment who control media, technology, and economic policy.
Sullivan is right that there's an "Epstein class" of billionaires who've separated themselves from normal Americans.
But he's too polite to say out loud that this class votes Democrat, funds Democrat campaigns, and shapes Democrat policy while the media runs interference for them.
Billionaire Wealth Exploded While They Networked With Epstein
While Gates, Hoffman, and Summers were having dinners with a convicted child sex offender, billionaire wealth exploded.
Billionaire wealth surged by $2 trillion in 2024 – $5.7 billion per day.
The world now has 2,769 billionaires, up 204 from last year – nearly four new billionaires created every week.
Sixty percent of billionaire wealth now comes from inheritance, monopoly power, or crony connections.
The top 1 percent control over one-fifth of all income while the bottom 20 percent share just 3.1 percent.
Federal Reserve data shows the richest 10 percent of households own over two-thirds of America's total wealth.
Billionaires spent $2.6 billion influencing the 2024 election – 16.5 percent of all political contributions.
In 2000, billionaires spent just $18 million on elections.
These are the people who lecture Americans about inequality while accumulating obscene fortunes and networking with sex traffickers.
Trump Epstein Investigation Targets Democrat Billionaires Gates, Hoffman, Summers
Trump announced he's directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein's relationships with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and JPMorgan Chase.
Democrats screamed Trump was weaponizing the Justice Department.
But these investigations are exactly what Sullivan's warning demands – somebody needs to bring the billionaire class to heel, and Trump is the only one with the guts to do it.
The Gilded Age ended when Americans demanded their democracy back from the robber barons.
The question for 2026 is whether the Democrat "Epstein class" – the Gates, Hoffmans, Summers, and Zuckerbergs who spent years networking with a child predator while accumulating obscene wealth – will finally face accountability.
Or whether the liberal media will keep running interference for billionaires who share their politics, no matter how many dinners they attended with Jeffrey Epstein.
Sources:
- Mark Halperin, "Andrew Sullivan: Who Is Looking Out For The Middle Class? The 'Epstein Class' Is Distorting Everything," RealClearPolitics, February 12, 2026.
- Inside Philanthropy, "What Did Bill Gates Do With Jeffrey Epstein? Here's What the Emails Say," February 11, 2026.
- CNN Politics, "Bill Gates faces fresh scrutiny for Epstein ties following Justice Department's document release," February 5, 2026.
- NBC News, "Trump directs DOJ to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's relationship with political and other figures," November 15, 2025.
- The Intercept, "Don't Let Larry Summers Back Into Polite Society," November 19, 2025.
- CNBC, "Epstein's Silicon Valley connections went beyond Gates and Musk," February 9, 2026.
- Jacobin, "Mark Zuckerberg Wanted to Keep in Touch With Jeffrey Epstein," February 2026.
- Oxfam America, "Extreme inequality and poverty," January 18, 2026.