Who is Martin Seligman in the Epstein files?

Martin Seligman is an American psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, a former president of the American Psychological Association and a founder of positive psychology. In the files, his clearest appearance is a June 2011 email exchange in which Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff tried to arrange a call with him for Epstein. He declined and asked Epstein to email him. He is also named in a recurring passage listing scientists associated with Epstein.

Did Martin Seligman meet or work with Jeffrey Epstein according to the documents?

The documents do not show a meeting, trip, payment or joint project. The direct emails show Epstein trying to reach him, and Seligman saying he was unavailable and preferred email. Because Epstein's own replies are mostly not in these files, how the relationship developed is unclear. The files do not show it as a close one.

Why does his name appear alongside Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and others?

Those connections come from shared documents, not from direct interaction. Several of the same records mention many people, such as long lists of scientists, contacts or names. Appearing in the same file does not mean the people dealt with one another.

Are all the 'Seligman' mentions about Martin Seligman?

No. Some records are property listings for a different person, 'Seligman Arline M', and one magazine page mentions the actor Steve Martin. A magazine-style article about happiness research also appears to place him at Princeton, though he is at the University of Pennsylvania. These are not evidence of any connection to Epstein.

Who is Martin Seligman in the Epstein files?

Martin Seligman is an American psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, a former president of the American Psychological Association and a founder of positive psychology. In the files, his clearest appearance is a June 2011 email exchange in which Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff tried to arrange a call with him for Epstein. He declined and asked Epstein to email him. He is also named in a recurring passage listing scientists associated with Epstein.

Did Martin Seligman meet or work with Jeffrey Epstein according to the documents?

The documents do not show a meeting, trip, payment or joint project. The direct emails show Epstein trying to reach him, and Seligman saying he was unavailable and preferred email. Because Epstein's own replies are mostly not in these files, how the relationship developed is unclear. The files do not show it as a close one.

Why does his name appear alongside Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and others?

Those connections come from shared documents, not from direct interaction. Several of the same records mention many people, such as long lists of scientists, contacts or names. Appearing in the same file does not mean the people dealt with one another.

Are all the 'Seligman' mentions about Martin Seligman?

No. Some records are property listings for a different person, 'Seligman Arline M', and one magazine page mentions the actor Steve Martin. A magazine-style article about happiness research also appears to place him at Princeton, though he is at the University of Pennsylvania. These are not evidence of any connection to Epstein.

Back to People & Entities

Martin Seligman

Person

Total Mentions

Documents

1,625

Connected Entities

American psychologist and writer

Wikipedia

Watch: Martin Seligman in the Epstein files

1:04

Narrated from the AI-generated summary of the documents. Numbers reflect the archive at generation time.

Martin Seligman, the University of Pennsylvania psychologist known for positive psychology and learned helplessness, appears in a short June 2011 email exchange. Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff asked for a phone call with him on Epstein's behalf, and Seligman declined and asked that Epstein email him instead. He is also named in several documents as one of the scientists in Epstein's circle, but the files show no meeting, travel or financial relationship.

The most direct material is a set of emails from 1 and 3 June 2011 between Seligman and Lesley Groff, Epstein's assistant. Groff says Jeffrey hopes Seligman is free for a phone call after 1pm. Seligman replies "Not possible. Email please" and, in an earlier exchange, "I will not be around. Ask Jeffrey to email me." Groff then forwarded the exchange to Epstein under the subject "Marty Seligman." Seligman is also named in a passage, repeated across government and legal records, that lists scientists associated with Epstein: "Martin Seligman, known for his work on Positive Psychology." Other mentions are third-party references or unrelated, including a 2019 list of names in an email to Epstein's own address and several property records for a different person named Seligman.

Key Highlights

•Six emails in the files have Seligman in the From/To/Cc header. They date from 1 and 3 June 2011 and are with Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff. Epstein wanted a phone call, and Seligman declined and asked for email.
•Groff forwarded Seligman's "Not possible. Email please" reply to Epstein under the subject "Marty Seligman." Epstein was the one seeking contact.
•A passage that appears in many government and legal records (at least seven documents) lists Seligman, 'known for his work on Positive Psychology', among the scientists tied to Epstein. It describes his field and does not describe any specific interaction.
•A 2019 email from Epstein's account, subject "list for bannon steve," includes "seligman" in a list of scientists and thinkers' names. It does not say why they were listed.
•In 2011 and 2013 emails, other people mention him. One writer says they have started reading his work and asks whether the recipient knows Seligman personally. Another asks whether he is the professor Epstein had mentioned. These show Epstein's circle talking about him but do not show contact.
•A medical record cites his concepts of 'learned helplessness' in discussing trauma. Four property-record entries for 'Seligman Arline M' and an unrelated 'Steve Martin' magazine page are not about him.

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Filthy Rich: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

James Patterson

Bestselling account of Epstein's crimes and network

Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Bradley J. Edwards

Victims' attorney's firsthand account

Document Mentions (20 of 26)

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016552

Source: House Oversight Committee

2 mentions

1196 50434311000020010 TRUST MARTIN & TRUST DIANE 26,178,517.00 0 SINGLE FAMILY

0 CO-OP 1968 935 242100 50434423150004190 SELIGMAN ARLINE M 198,750.00 0 COOPERATIVE

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016695

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

119616 25000 94616 S 50-43-44-23-15-000-4190-001 SELIGMAN ARLINE M 214000 0 214000 S 50-43-44-23-15-000-

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016696

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

0 CO-OP 1968 935 242100 50434423150004190 SELIGMAN ARLINE M 198,750.00 0 COOPERATIVE

Sponsored

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016698

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

MORREALE JOSEPH SHAVEL HENRY & SELIGMAN ARLINE M ANTONOU LOUISE KINNUNEN

list for bannon steve

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029622

From: J <[email protected]>Jun 30, 2019Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

rg. demasio, shristakas brockman hillis, kaufman, seligman. gould, saks, john kery, george mitchell, mandelbb

EFTA00176507.pdf

EFTA00176507

1 mention

fields, including Martin Nowak, a mathematical biologist who studies, among other things, the dynamics of infectious diseases and cancer genetics; Martin Seligman, known for his work on Positive Psychology — that is to say the psychology of personal fulfillment; Roger Schank, a leading researcher in the appli

Sponsored

EFTA00190116.pdf

EFTA00190116

1 mention

EFTA00191396.pdf

EFTA00191396

1 mention

EFTA00221798.pdf

EFTA00221798

1 mention

rlessness and helplessness as requisite parts of the traumatic experience in Criterion A for the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder trauma (Martin Seligman, recent Past President of the American Psychological Association, coined relevant terms of "learned helplessness and "Loss of Personal Locus of Con

Sponsored

EFTA00284175.pdf

EFTA00284175

1 mention

EFTA00432777.pdf

EFTA00432777

1 mention

From: Lesley Groff To: Martin Seligman Subject: Jeffrey Epstein Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:28:18 +0000 Hello Marty. Jeffrey is hoping you might be available today after 1pm for a phone c

EFTA00432780.pdf

EFTA00432780

1 mention

From: Martin Seligman INIMIla To: Lesley Groff Subject: Re: Jeffrey Epstein Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:36:50 +0000 Not possible Email please Sent from my iPhone On J

Sponsored

EFTA00432786.pdf

EFTA00432786

1 mention

From: Lesley Groff To: Martin Seligman Subject: Re: Jeffrey Epstein Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:55:50 +0000 ok, thanks On Jun 3, 2011, at 11:36 AM, Martin Seligman wrote: > Not possible

EFTA00433010.pdf

EFTA00433010

1 mention

From: ==. > To: Martin Seligman <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Jeffrey Epstein Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:04:48 +0000 ok, I will let him know. thank you On Jun 1, 2011,

EFTA00433009.pdf

EFTA00433009

1 mention

From: Martin Seligman <[email protected]> To: Subject: Re: Jeffrey Epstein Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:00:49 -r0000 I will not be around. Ask Jeffrey to email me

Sponsored

EFTA00577049.pdf

EFTA00577049

1 mention

O O O O O O O O O O O O O Fried, Sam U Gmax Len Blavatnik Harry Beller O ■ O ■ Subject Date ize anthropologist and power Martin Seligman finished...how to send? Next steps Mike Weiner Eric Roth/Gulfstream Interior Eric Roth/Gulfstream Interior JP Morgan/Fleming FW: Delaware Settl

EFTA00577088.pdf

EFTA00577088

1 mention

O O O O O O O O O O O O Fried, Sam U Gmax Len Blavatnik Harry Beller O ■ O ■ Subject Date ize FX anthropologist and power Martin Seligman finished...how to send? Next steps Mike Weiner Eric Roth/Gulfstream Interior Eric Roth/Gulfstream Interior JP Morgan/Fleming FW: Delaware Settl

EFTA00629247.pdf

EFTA00629247

1 mention

Groff To: Jefffrey Epstein <[email protected]> Subject: Marty Seligman Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:56:29 +0000 Begin forwarded message: From: Martin Seligman <[email protected]> Date: June 3, 2011 11:36:50 AM EDT To: Lesley Groff Subject: Re: Jerey [ fall ein Not possible Email please Sent fr

Sponsored

EFTA01967030.pdf

EFTA01967030

1 mention

AM, Lola M ahotmail.fr> wrote: Yes, sure, I understand. I will be there for a year (at least). It will be fantastic to be a student again. Was it Martin Seligman the professor you have mentioned? Thanks. Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:48:17 -0400 Subject: Re: From: '[email protected] To: _,hotmail.fr of co

EFTA01967363.pdf

EFTA01967363

1 mention

Jun 17, 2013 at 11:29 AN wrote: Yes, sure, I understand. I will be there for a year (at least). It will be fantastic to be a student again. Was it Martin Seligman the professor you have mentioned? Thanks. Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:48:17 -0400 Subject: Re: From: 'ecvacation mail.com To: of course , but i

Sponsored

Connected Entities(20 of 1,625)

Jeffrey Epstein

Martin Seligman