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View all search resultsThe Epstein files, white collar crimes: A lesson for Indonesia
Learning from the Epstein scandal, Indonesian business needs to shift toward enhanced, human rights-based due diligence from the conventional know-your-customer principle.
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Major fallout: Former United States representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia speaks on Nov. 18, during a press conference on the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (AFP/Daniel Heuer)
O
n Jan. 30, the United States Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, drawing the case back into the global spotlight.
The files mention a number of prominent figures and global elites, such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Donald Trump. A number of Indonesian prominent figures, such as former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and business barons Hary Tanoesoedibjo and Eka Tjipta Widjaja were also named.
Although there is no suggestion that being mentioned implies any illegal involvement, Jokowi and Sri Mulyani were mentioned related to global affairs development while Hary and Eka to their property business connection with Trump, the Epstein scandal offers a broader lesson about white-collar crime and how it thrives through powerful individuals, elite networks and systemic failures.
Critically, it exposes how Epstein networks act as enablers for his crimes. A notable example is JPMorgan, an established financial institution, that processed thousands of financial transactions connected to Epstein, including payments to victims and transfers to banks suspected of being linked to his trafficking operations.
This raises a critical question: how many similar white-collar criminals remain concealed behind routine compliance procedures? And what lesson should Indonesian companies learn to ensure they do not become enablers of such misconduct?
The term “white-collar crime” was first coined by Edwin H Sutherland in 1939, refers to financially motivated crime committed by individuals of high social status and respectability within their occupations. Sutherland fundamentally challenged the traditional way to view crime as a phenomenon associated primarily with lower socioeconomic groups. Instead, he argued that criminal behavior is also present among elites, whose power and status can shield them from scrutiny and legal accountability.
By shifting focus to the misconduct of powerful professionals and corporations, Sutherland highlighted how class privilege and institutional credibility can be used to hinder harmful behavior. His ideas remain strikingly relevant today, as modern white-collar crime operates through complex corporate networks, exploiting regulatory loopholes and global financial systems that make enforcement increasingly challenging.
