Whatever Happened To Epstein’s Island?

Before his death, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein allegedly used his own private island to host scores of underage girls. Many things about Epstein are still mired in secrecy, including the activities that took place on the island. So whatever happened to the billionaire’s Caribbean home?

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Voiceover By: Jacent Jackson

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Before his death, sex offender Jeffrey  Epstein allegedly used his own private   island to host scores of underage girls. Many  things about Epstein are still mired in secrecy,   including the activities that took place on the   island. So whatever happened to  the billionaire’s Caribbean home?

In 1998, Jeffrey Epstein bought a 75-acre island  called Little St. James for $7.95 million. On it,   he built a sprawling estate that was mostly  hidden from public view. The sizable complex   contained a spa, a gym, and a swimming  pool, among various other amenities.

“It was Little Saint Jeffs.  That was his nickname for it.” Epstein also bought the island next  door, Great St. James, in 2016. Known as “Pedophile Island” to local Virgin  Islanders, horrifying stories about the island   of Little St. James continue to generate grim  fascination. Local witnesses living on nearby  

St. Thomas reported that they regularly  saw girls coming and going to the island,   some of whom were young children. The long list  of high-profile figures rumored to have visited   Little St. James is also very extensive  — featuring everyone from Bill Clinton to  

Stephen Hawking. Prince Andrew even admitted to  visiting it during his infamous BBC interview. “Just for the record, you’ve  been on his private plane.” “Yes.” “You’ve been to stay on his private island.” “Yes.” Two days after Jeffrey Epstein  was found dead in his prison cell,  

The FBI raided Little St. James as part of its  investigation. The official Epstein task force   hoped to find more information about his  purported trafficking ring but would not   speak to the media about what they uncovered.  FBI agents weren’t the only visitors, though,  

And given the general fascination with the  rumors surrounding the island, it’s no surprise. In 2019, two YouTubers — Jeff Berwick and  Luke Rudkowski — took matters into their   own hands and convinced a local to drop them  off by boat. The pair were able to explore for  

30 minutes before escaping when they spotted  other people on the island driving golf carts. Rudkowski and Berwick were particularly  interested in investigating a blue and   white striped building on the island known as  “the temple.” The odd building has sparked a  

Host of wild conspiracy theories online, with  some people calling in a ritualistic abuse   site. According to Insider, however, the “most  plausible” theory is that it’s a music room. Following the death of Jeffrey Epstein,  a three-year-long legal battle unfolded  

Over his estate. It was ultimately decided in  2022 that the estate owed $105 million to the   Virgin Islands to settle sex trafficking  claims and would also have to sell his   two islands. As part of the settlement deal, it  was agreed that half the money from the sale of  

The two islands would go to the territorial  government. Officials said this money would   go to a government trust to fund programs  for victims of sexual abuse. As of 2022,   the estate had paid $121 million  to 136 women abused by Epstein.

In addition to providing for the sex abuse  victims, the executors also had to pay out   a lump sum for the environmental damage done  to the islands themselves. The area around   the two pieces of land is surrounded by delicate  coral reefs and teeming with wildlife. However,  

Epstein refused to follow planning regulations  and simply built whatever he wanted,   incurring considerable damage. Environmental  inspectors who arrived on the island were simply   waved away at the dock. It is believed that  undoing the damage will be quite expensive,   and the estate was forced to fork  over $450,000 to help pay for it.

Although both islands were originally  priced at $55 million dollars each,   they eventually sold for far less. Billionaire  Stephen Deckoff was able to buy both for just $60   million in 2023. Little St. James in particular  cost the billionaire mogul just $8 million.

Deckoff, who is the founder of the private  equity firm Black Diamond Management,   is deeply invested in the Virgin Islands, both  literally and figuratively, having lived there for   more than 10 years. He intends to transform the  sordid island into a world-class resort, and he is  

Currently in the process of recruiting engineers  and architects to have his dream realized.   According to a press release, Deckoff hopes  that the resort will be open as soon as 2025. If you or someone you know may  be the victim of child abuse,   please contact the Childhelp  National Child Abuse Hotline  

At 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453)  or contact their live chat services.