The name Jeffrey Epstein is one that has become synonymous with a string of heartbreaking crimes: the former teacher and financier, who was found dead in a jail cell in August 2019 following an apparent suicide, was a known sex offender with numerous victims.
Later, Epstein would go on to become a multi-millionaire with a flashy inner circle, including the likes of Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, and was accused of running a sex trafficking ring to live out his sordid fantasies with vulnerable young girls (something President Trump has emphatically denied knowledge of).
In 2008, Epstein was given an 18-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14, but this turned out to be the tip of the iceberg.
Given his links to big names and the subsequent allegations that he ran a sophisticated sex trafficking ring, there has been major public interest in the life and wealth of Epstein. His crimes—and the far-reaching network of enablers around him—were also the focus of the hit Netflix documentary series Filthy Rich.
Another of Epstein’s famous associates is his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Once a socialite and best known as the daughter of media tycoon Robert Maxwell, she was convicted in 2022 on charges of child sex trafficking in association with Epstein and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. She was found guilty of helping him recruit and groom young girls for abuse.
Meanwhile, Virginia Giuffre – perhaps the most well-known accuser, who claimed she was trafficked by Maxwell to have sex with Prince Andrew at the age of 17 – sadly passed away earlier this year. Giuffre had long been a powerful voice for victims and continued fighting to be heard even amid intense public and legal scrutiny. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied all allegations.
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While parts of Epstein’s criminal enterprise have come to light, many aspects of his life remain shrouded in mystery, including the full extent of his wealth, how he came to possess it and where Epstein's money has ended up today.
How did Jeffrey Epstein amass so much wealth?
According to a Forbes article, just weeks before Epstein’s death, “The source of his wealth—a money management firm in the U.S. Virgin Islands—generates no public records, nor has his client list ever been released.” At its peak, Epstein’s fortune was estimated to be around $560 million (£416 million).
As for how he made his money, Epstein’s early career was riddled with deception. After falsely claiming to have a college degree, he briefly taught maths before landing a job at the investment bank Bear Stearns in the mid-1970s. There, he rose to partner before being dismissed for a series of violations.
In 1981, he set up his own firm—Intercontinental Assets Group Inc.—which specialised in helping clients recover lost funds. Ironically, it's also later claimed that in 1993, Epstein was involved in a 'Ponzi scheme' – a fraudulent investing scam in which investors are falsely told there are high rates of return with little risk.
Steven Hoffenberg, who was jailed for eighteen years for his role in the scheme, said of Epstein, "[He had] no moral compass. He was a brilliant, seductive, criminal mastermind."
Despite Hoffenberg’s claims, Epstein was never charged in connection with the scheme. It remains unclear whether he benefited financially from it.
Another striking allegation came from billionaire Les Wexner, the longtime CEO of Victoria’s Secret, who accused Epstein of “misappropriating” $46 million of his personal fortune. At one point, Wexner even gave Epstein power of attorney over his finances.
What happened to Jeffrey Epstein's money when he died?
On 8 August 2019—just two days before his death—Epstein signed a document that transferred all of his assets into a private trust known as the 1953 Trust (possibly named so as a nod to the year of his birth).
“This is the last act of Epstein’s manipulation of the system, even in death,” said attorney Jennifer Freeman, who represents survivors of child sexual abuse, in an interview with The Guardian.
Because trusts are private legal entities, the identities of Epstein’s beneficiaries—and the amounts they may have received—are shielded from public view. For victims, this means initiating a lengthy legal process just to access financial disclosures, let alone claim compensation. Judges must rule on whether victims qualify, determine appropriate payouts, and possibly reduce any amounts allocated to beneficiaries—who have the right to contest such decisions.
The trust absorbed all his assets; properties, cash, investments, and valuables.
Have any of Epstein's victims received compensation?
Over the years, the 1953 Trust has paid out more than $164 million to victims via a compensation fund, and money generated by the sales of some of Epstein’s infamous properties – like Little Saint James (aka the "private island") and his sprawling Manhattan townhouse.
Despite his death, elements of Epstein's wealth have actually continued to grow: a key remaining asset is a venture capital stake he took out in entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, originally worth $40 million but now valued at up to $200 million.
But while this may make it sound as though Epstein’s estate is dripping in cash, not everything is as spendable as it seems – a big chunk of the estate is still tied up in Thiel's venture capital fund.
Why? Because those kinds of investments take forever (okay, years) to pay out. So while the estate might look like a multi-millionaire’s dream on paper, that cash isn’t sitting pretty in the bank just yet. Until the investment is cashed, the executors can’t touch it, and sadly, that means Epstein’s victims are unlikely to see a penny of those future profits—especially since most compensation funds have already wrapped up. Another frustrating example of how Epstein’s wealth continues to stay just out of reach.
As of 2025, the estate’s value is estimated at around $150 to 200 million, though legal and financial scrutiny continues, and beneficiaries of the trust remain mostly unknown.
What has Jeffrey Epstein's estate got to do with Peter Thiel?
One of the most valuable assets remaining in Epstein’s estate is a $40 million investment he reportedly made into a pair of funds managed by Valar Ventures in 2015 and 2016, which is a fintech-focused venture capital firm co-founded by billionaire tech mogul Peter Thiel – a man who has long sung Trump's praises and who financially backed Vice President JD Vance during his bid for the VP position. Thiel's reputation as a powerful figure with big political influence and a pro-nationalist agenda has also seen the spotlight shift on him of late.
Epstein's stake, according to filings seen by The New York Times and reported by Reuters, has since ballooned to an estimated $170–200 million, and some have questioned why victims cannot access it.
The answer? Because venture capital investments are typically locked in for years, the Epstein estate cannot yet liquidate this particular asset. The eventual beneficiaries of these profits remain unclear, but for now, the victims of Epstein’s crimes are unlikely to see a share from this particular pot of his estate.
There’s also zero public evidence that Thiel had a close, personal relationship with Epstein or was aware of any of his crimes, however the pair's connection has drawn renewed attention given Elon Musk's recent X posts about Trump allegedly being on the Epstein 'client list' (which the FBI now denies even exists).
Musk and Thiel are both co-founders of PayPal, an online payment platform, and big name players in the Silicon Valley tech sphere, as was Epstein once upon a time.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
