2006, U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas) – Physicist Lawrence Krauss organized a private workshop titled “Confronting Gravity”, bringing together 21 handpicked scientists – including three Nobel Prize winners (Gerard ’t Hooft, David Gross, Frank Wilczek), Stephen Hawking, Jim Peebles, Alan Guth, Kip Thorne, Lisa Randall, Barry Barish, Maria Spiropulu, and others.

The twist? This high-level scientific gathering was funded by Jeffrey Epstein’s foundation.

Main topic of discussion: vacuum energy, gravitational waves, and a unified theory linking gravity with quantum mechanics.

Epstein, Nobel Laureates, beachside conferences… A scientific thriller in the making?

The workshop, described by participants as a “pleasant event,” featured afternoon academic sessions, followed by submarine rides (Atlantis Submarine), diving, and relaxation on a private island owned by Epstein.

According to several testimonies, Epstein brought a certain “cabaret” vibe to the retreat, with a group of young women (aged 19–23) present to “accompany” the scientists – something physicist Frank Wilczek confirmed he witnessed, although he did not report any abusive behavior directly.

A 2012 press release (EIN Presswire, PR.com) confirmed that 21 physicists, including three Nobel Prize winners, gathered in St. Thomas to discuss the nature of gravity, with financial support from the J. Epstein Virgin Islands Inc. foundation, under Krauss’s leadership.

Bonus: A few scientific highlights from the discussions

Krauss focused on vacuum energy (cosmological constant), one of the deepest mysteries in modern physics.

He also emphasized the potential of gravitational waves as a new path for discovery – just one year before the launch of LIGO, the groundbreaking experiment that would later detect them.