Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was an American financier known for his elite social circle. He faced multiple allegations of sexually abusing underage girls and was convicted in 2008. Epstein was arrested again in 2019 for sex trafficking of minors and died in jail under controversial circumstances.
Jeffrey Epstein was born on January 20, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1971, Jeffrey Epstein dropped out of Cooper Union in Manhattan. This decision marked a turning point in his educational journey.
In September 1974, Jeffrey Epstein began working as a physics and mathematics teacher at the Dalton School in Manhattan, despite lacking credentials. He was known for his charismatic personality and inappropriate behavior towards underage female students.
Jeffrey Epstein was dismissed from the Dalton School in June 1976 for 'poor performance'. Shortly after his dismissal, he was offered a job at Bear Stearns by Alan Greenberg.
In 1980, Jeffrey Epstein was made a limited partner at Bear Stearns before leaving the company in 1981 to start his own business. This marked a significant point in his financial career.
In 1981, Jeffrey Epstein establishes Intercontinental Assets Group Inc., a consulting firm that gains attention from wealthy international clients.
In 1982, Jeffrey Epstein founded his own firm, J. Epstein and Co., marking a significant point in his career and financial endeavors.
In 1987, Steven Hoffenberg hired Jeffrey Epstein as a consultant for Towers Financial Corporation, a collection agency. They later rebranded themselves as corporate raiders.
In 1988, Jeffrey Epstein founded his financial management firm, J. Epstein & Company, which aimed to manage the assets of clients with more than US$1 billion in net worth. Epstein's only publicly known billionaire client was Leslie Wexner, chairman and CEO of L Brands.
In 1990, Jeffrey Epstein purchased a secluded mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, where he was accused of sexually abusing underage girls.
In July 1991, Leslie Wexner granted Jeffrey Epstein full power of attorney over his affairs, allowing Epstein to make significant financial decisions on Wexner's behalf. This marked a pivotal moment in their professional relationship.
Several of Epstein's household employees testified in 2009 that Ghislaine Maxwell had a central role in both his public and private life, referring to her as his 'main girlfriend' who also handled the hiring, supervising, and firing of staff starting around 1992.
In 1995, Jeffrey Epstein attended a small political fundraiser dinner for Bill Clinton and was involved in discussions about currency stabilization with Clinton and other influential figures. Epstein had multiple interactions with Clinton and his aides during this period.
In 1996, Jeffrey Epstein became the official owner of the largest private residence in Manhattan, showcasing his growing wealth and influence.
On June 17, 1997, American financier Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell were present at a birthday party for Michael Caine at The Canteen restaurant in Chelsea, London.
In 1998, Jeffrey Epstein purchased the Herbert N. Straus House in Manhattan from his mentor, Les Wexner, for $20 million. The mansion, valued at $77 million in 2019, is known for its luxurious features such as a lead-lined bathroom and heated sidewalk.
In 1999, Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Jeffrey Epstein of forcing her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 15 years old.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, and musician Michael Bolton posed for a portrait during a party at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
In 2002, Donald Trump praised Jeffrey Epstein in a New York magazine profile, describing him as a 'terrific guy' who enjoys the company of beautiful women, some of whom are young. Trump later distanced himself from Epstein, stating in July 2019 that he had not been a fan of Epstein and had not spoken to him in about fifteen years.
In 2003, Jeffrey Epstein made a $30 million donation to Harvard University to establish a mathematical biology and evolutionary dynamics program. This donation showcased Epstein's elite connections and was praised by Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz.
In November 2004, Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump engaged in a bidding war for a $40 million mansion in Palm Beach. Trump emerged as the winner, purchasing the property for $41 million. This event marked the last recorded interaction between Epstein and Trump.
In March 2005, police in Palm Beach, Florida, start investigating Jeffrey Epstein after a 14-year-old girl's family reports she was molested at his mansion. Several underage girls, including high school students, later disclose that Epstein paid them for sexual massages.
On July 27, 2006, Epstein was arrested by the Palm Beach Police Department on state felony charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and solicitation of a prostitute. He was later released on bond.
On February 6, 2008, Jane Doe No. 2 filed a $50-million civil lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein, alleging that she was recruited as a minor to give him a massage and was sexually abused at his mansion. This was part of a series of lawsuits and settlements involving Epstein's alleged victims.
On June 30, 2008, Jeffrey Epstein appears in a Florida courtroom after a lengthy investigation and legal negotiations. He pleads guilty to one count of solicitation of prostitution and one count of solicitation of prostitution of a minor under 18. Epstein receives a sentence of 18 months in jail, a year of community service, and is registered as a sex offender.
On July 22, 2009, Jeffrey Epstein was released on probation and house arrest until August 2010 after serving almost thirteen months in prison. During his probation, he was allowed trips on his corporate jet and various freedoms, sparking controversy.
On June 18, 2010, Epstein's former house manager, Alfredo Rodriguez, was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for obstruction of justice. He failed to turn over crucial information to the police, including a journal detailing Epstein's activities.
In November 2011, Jeffrey Epstein is registered as a level 3 sex offender in New York, indicating a high risk of repeat offense and a threat to public safety.
On August 6, 2012, Pedro Gaspar, a model and party promoter associated with MC2 modeling agency, died of a suspicious drug overdose in Manhattan.
In December 2014, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 filed a federal civil suit in Florida against the United States, alleging violations of the Crime Victims' Rights Act due to the non-prosecution agreement with Epstein. Efforts to add Virginia Roberts (Jane Doe 3) and another woman (Jane Doe 4) as plaintiffs were unsuccessful.
On April 7, 2015, Judge Kenneth Marra ruled that allegations made by Virginia Roberts against Prince Andrew had no bearing on the lawsuit seeking to reopen Epstein's non-prosecution plea agreement. The judge ordered the allegation to be struck from the record.
On October 20, 2015, investigators execute a search warrant on Epstein's Florida home as the case reveals several other teenage sex victims.
A federal lawsuit filed in California in April 2016 alleged that Epstein and Donald Trump sexually assaulted a woman at a series of parties at Epstein's Manhattan residence in 1994 when she was 13 years old. The suit was dismissed in May 2016 for not raising valid claims under federal law.
On March 22, 2017, Alex Acosta, who was then the labor secretary-designate, testified on Capitol Hill, possibly addressing his involvement in protecting Jeffrey Epstein from prosecution.
In November 2018, the Miami Herald reported that numerous victims accused Epstein of regularly abusing underage girls at his Palm Beach mansion.
In December 2018, attorney Bradley Edwards settled a defamation suit against Jeffrey Epstein out of court one day into the trial. Epstein apologized and agreed to confidential terms. Subsequently, nearly 2,000 pages of records related to the case were sealed until a federal appeals court judge in New York ordered them to be opened in mid-2019.
On February 21, 2019, Senior Judge Kenneth Marra stated that federal prosecutors had violated the law by not notifying victims before allowing Epstein to plead guilty to Florida offenses. The judge left open the possible remedies for this violation.
On March 11, 2019, the Second Circuit Court ordered the unsealing of documents related to the 2017 defamation settlement in the Giuffre v. Maxwell case. The documents were to be redacted to protect innocent parties.
Maria Farmer filed a sworn affidavit in federal court in New York in April 2019, alleging that she and her sister had been sexually assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell in separate locations in 1996.
On July 6, 2019, billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in New York in a new underage sex trafficking case. The arrest was a significant development in the legal proceedings against Epstein.
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on July 7, 2019, in an undercover operation upon his return to the United States. This arrest marked a significant development in the case against him.
On July 8, 2019, prosecutors alleged that Jeffrey Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his various properties. This indictment shed light on the extent of the accusations against him.
In July 2019, while serving as president, Donald Trump downplayed his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, stating that he knew Epstein like everybody in Palm Beach did. Trump mentioned that he had a falling out with Epstein long ago and had not spoken to him for 15 years, emphasizing that he was not a fan of Epstein.
Federal prosecutors stated in court documents that, based on records from one financial institution, Jeffrey Epstein was 'extravagantly wealthy' with assets worth at least $500 million and earned more than $10 million a year. However, the full extent of his wealth was unknown.
Jennifer Araoz filed a state civil lawsuit against Epstein and Maxwell, stating that she was recruited by an associate of Epstein at age 14 and was raped by Epstein in his New York City mansion when she was 15.
On July 25, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was discovered injured on the floor of his jail cell at the Manhattan Correctional Center. The cause of his injuries, whether self-inflicted or inflicted by someone else, remained unclear.
On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell from an apparent suicide by hanging. This event raised numerous questions and controversies surrounding his death.
An autopsy performed on August 11, 2019, revealed that Jeffrey Epstein had sustained multiple breaks in his neck bones, including the hyoid bone. The findings suggested that the injuries were more consistent with homicide by strangulation rather than suicide by hanging.
On August 12, 2019, James B. Stewart shared his experience in The New York Times, revealing the day Jeffrey Epstein told him he possessed damaging information about influential individuals.
Manhattan federal court Judge Richard M. Berman wrote to the Metropolitan Correctional Center warden inquiring about an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's apparent suicide and his prior injuries, expressing concern over the lack of clarity regarding the incident.
On August 16, 2019, Barbara Sampson, the New York City medical examiner, officially ruled Jeffrey Epstein's death as a suicide by hanging. This conclusion was met with skepticism by Epstein's defense team who believed the evidence pointed more towards murder.
On August 18, 2019, it was reported that Jeffrey Epstein signed his last will and testament, just two days before his death. The will named two employees as executors and gifted all his assets to a trust.
Three women sued the estate of Jeffrey Epstein in August 2019, alleging they were recruited, subjected to unwanted sex acts, and controlled by Epstein and his co-conspirators.
The prosecutor's office in Paris opened an investigation into Epstein for rape and sexual assault of minors, among other charges.
On September 5, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein's body was buried in an unmarked grave next to his parents at the I.J. Morris Star of David Cemetery in Palm Beach, Florida. The tombstone of his parents was altered to prevent vandalism.
A New York accuser known as Jane Doe announced a federal lawsuit against Epstein's estate in September 2019, stating that she was recruited in 2002 and sexually abused by Epstein for three years starting at age 14.
A woman identified as Jane Doe 15 announced a lawsuit against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein in November 2019, alleging that he manipulated, trafficked, and sexually abused her in 2004 when she was 15-years-old.
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Metropolitan Correctional Center guards Michael Thomas and Tova Noel with creating false records and conspiracy after video footage revealed that Epstein had been left unchecked in his cell for eight hours before being found dead.
Teala Davies announced her lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against Epstein's estate in November 2019, stating that after meeting Epstein in 2002, he sexually assaulted and trafficked her in various locations.
A lawsuit was filed in New York on behalf of nine anonymous accusers against Epstein's estate for battery, assault, and intentional emotional distress, with claims dating back to the 1980s and involving individuals as young as 13.
The two MCC guards admitted to falsifying records related to Jeffrey Epstein's death but were spared from imprisonment under a deal with federal prosecutors, agreeing to a deferred prosecution agreement and pleading guilty to falsifying records and conspiracy.
A prosecution detective shows a massage table recovered from Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach home to witness and former Palm Beach Police Officer Gregory Parkinson during testimony in the sex-abuse trial of Ghislaine Maxwell.
Ghislaine Maxwell, associate of Jeffrey Epstein, faces sentencing for her involvement in sexually abusing underage girls. The prosecution revealed how Maxwell and Epstein used their wealth and connections to manipulate and exploit vulnerable girls.
Despite the release of thousands of pages of court records, questions about the millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein remain unanswered. The final round of legal documents released on January 9 added few details to what was already known about Epstein’s crimes.
A Massey & Gail LLP attorney, representing JP Morgan Chase, arrives at the offices of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in New York with documents. Staley faces his first day of testimony regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as part of lawsuits accusing the bank of enabling Epstein's sex-trafficking.
The United States Department of Justice's Inspector General's investigation report criticized jail officials for negligence, misconduct, and job performance failures in connection with Jeffrey Epstein's incarceration and death. The report refuted claims that Epstein's death was anything other than a suicide.
New York judge Loretta Preska ordered a list containing names of over 170 Epstein associates to be unsealed on January 1, 2024, giving individuals on the list until the specified date to appeal for removal of their names.
On January 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York confirmed the unsealing of the first batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's case.
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and prominent financier, passed away in jail while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
In February 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 117 into law, allowing for the release of more documents from the 2006 grand jury investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The bill creates specific criteria for the release of grand jury records, including the subject being deceased and the investigation involving sexual activity with a minor.