Like many of the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the photo included no details about when or where it was taken. The Hawking Estate declined to disclose who took the photograph or explain how it became part of the Epstein files. Also Read | Did DOJ withhold Epstein Files linked to allegations against Trump? A conference, organised by Epstein in March 2006, five months before the financier was first charged with soliciting prostitution, included Hawking and 20 other internationally recognised scientists. Details about the gathering, titled The Energy of Empty Space That Isn’t Zero, were outlined in a post on the blog of the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation.

Source: Mint February 26, 2026 06:05 UTC