{{Short description|American talent agent}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Use American English|date= March 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Faith Kates | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1957}} | birth_place = Long Island, New York, US | death_date = | death_place = | education = University of Maryland | occupation = Model agent and talent agent | known_for = friendship with Jeffrey Epstein | spouse = {{marriage|Jeffrey Kogan|1993}} | children = 3 | parents = | relatives = | website = }} '''Faith Kates''' (born 1957) is an American model agent and talent agent. She was the co-founder, alongside Jean-Luc Brunel, of the Next Management modelling agency, and was its head until November 2025.<ref name="Guardian_20260327">{{Cite news |last=Osborne |first=Lucy |date=March 27, 2026 |title=Faith Kates: the woman who introduced models to 'dear friend' Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/mar/27/faith-kates-models-dear-friend-jeffrey-epstein |access-date=March 27, 2026 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Kates offered her support and "unconditional" friendship to Jeffrey Epstein after he was first convicted for soliciting a child for prostitution in 2009.<ref name="Guardian_20260327" /> She was still sending friendly emails weeks before he was arrested again in 2019.<ref name="Guardian_20260327" />
==Early life== Kates was born in 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Faith KATES personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/LitpSRQ_mwnC3DKI4Dn-NmWkWc8/appointments |access-date=March 27, 2026 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> She was born and raised on Long Island, New York.<ref name=":0" /> She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.<ref name=":0" />
==Career== Kates started her career in the 1980s at Wilhelmina Models, where she rose to supervise the women’s division, before leaving to begin her own agency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Faith Kates & Joel Wilkenfeld BoF 500 The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/faith-kates-joel-wilkenfeld/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=The Business of Fashion |language=en}}</ref>
In 1989, She co-founded the Next Management modelling and talent agency along with the alleged sex trafficker Jean-Luc Brunel, and Joel Wilkenfeld.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Feitelberg |first=Rosemary |date=December 2, 2025 |title=Next Model Management Stays Quiet After Founder Faith Kates' Departure |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/next-model-faith-kates-management-stays-quiet-departure-1238368757/ |access-date=March 27, 2026 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}</ref> Kates owned most of the company; the Brunel brothers owned 25 percent.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|last1=Shugerman|first1=Emily|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-ties-to-the-modeling-industry-go-much-deeper-than-victorias-secret|title=Jeffrey Epstein's Modeling Ties Go Much Deeper Than Victoria's Secret|date=7 September 2019|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=22 March 2020|last2=Briquelet|first2=Kate|language=en|last3=Cartwright|first3=Lachlan}}</ref>
The agency came to represent clients including Alexa Chung, Milla Jovovich and Billie Eilish.<ref name="Guardian_20260327" /> In December 2025, Kates stepped down from Next Management weeks after the release of the files of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which documented her friendship with him, saying that it was because she wanted to focus on charity work;<ref name="Guardian_20260327" /> industry sources said Kates was forced out of Next Management.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Greer |first1=Carlos |date=December 1, 2025 |title=Next Model Management co-founder Faith Kates 'retires' after Jeffrey Epstein emails resurface |url=https://pagesix.com/2025/12/01/society/next-model-management-co-founder-faith-kates-retires-after-jeffrey-epstein-e-mails-resurface/ |access-date=March 27, 2026 |website=pagesix.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Next distanced the company from and ended all legal ties with Kates, and stated that her relationship to Epstein "was completely and absolutely unknown to Next management and its top executives".<ref name=Guardian_20260327 />
Kates was president of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and is said to have helped to raise more than $30 million for research.<ref name=":0"/>
==Personal life== In 1993, she married Jeffrey Kogan, a real estate investor.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Faith Kates Biography: Booking Info for Speaking Engagements |url=https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Faith+Kates/456776 |access-date=March 27, 2026 |website=www.allamericanspeakers.com}}</ref> They have three children, and homes in New York City and Long Island.<ref name=":1" />
==Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein== Kates had a close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein; she introduced Epstein to women and models, and took business advice and discussed multi-million dollar loans from Epstein. There are more than 5,000 mentions of Kates in the Epstein files.<ref name="Guardian_20260327" /> She offered her support and "unconditional" friendship after his conviction of soliciting a child for prostitution in 2009.<ref name="Guardian_20260327" /> Kates emailed Epstein "Just got home from dinner to a beautiful Prada bag!!! ... Thank you For the beautiful birthday present ... and most importantly for being my friend."<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gallagher|first1=Jacob|title=How Epstein Used Luxury Goods to Curry Favor|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/style/esptein-files-luxury-brands-gifts-fashion.html?searchResultPosition=1|website=nytimes.com|date = 5 February 2026|access-date=27 March 2026}}</ref>
Epstein donated money to a charity founded by Kates,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Confessore|first1=Nicholas|last2=Tate|first2=Julie|title='Don's Best Friend': How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/jeffrey-epstein-donald-trump.html?searchResultPosition=7|website=nytimes.com|date = 18 December 2025|access-date=27 March 2026}}</ref> who referred a number of her models to Epstein over their 40 year relationship.<ref name=Guardian_20260327 />
==See also== *Connections of Jeffrey Epstein
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kates, Faith}} Category:Living people Category:1957 births Category:People from Long Island Category:University of Maryland, Baltimore alumni Category:American women company founders Category:American talent agents Category:American women chief executives Category:American women philanthropists