Two private islands owned by the late Jeffrey Epstein are hitting the market for $125 million, reports say.
The proceeds from the sale of the properties, Great St. James and Little St. James, will be used to pay off outstanding lawsuits and the cost of the financier’s extensive estate operations, Daniel Weiner, an attorney for the Epstein estate, told the Wall Street Journal.
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Epstein first purchased Little St. James, which spans 70 acres and includes a main residential compound with four guest villas, in 1998 for $7.95 million. In 2016, Epstein bought the 165-acre Great St. James, which remains largely undeveloped, for $18 million, according to the outlet.
Allegations surrounding activities at the private islands have been at the center of several lawsuits.
In 2020, Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George filed a lawsuit against Epstein’s estate, alleging that underage girls and young women were taken to Little St. James by him and his associates and forced into sexual servitude.
Last year, George added new allegations to the lawsuit, claiming that Epstein and his associates forced at least three U.S. victims into arranged marriages to avoid deportation.
A number of high-profile celebrities and officials have allegedly visited the island over the years, including President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Kevin Spacey.
Around $121 million of Epstein’s estate has already gone to compensate Epstein’s victims, the attorney said.
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In July 2019, Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges for allegedly abusing girls. A month later, Epstein was found dead at the age of 66 in his Manhattan prison cell, a death that the medical examiner determined to be a suicide.
Epstein pleaded guilty to two prostitution charges in 2008 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison but only served just over a year of his sentence. As part of his plea deal, Epstein also had to register as a sex offender and reach financial settlements with dozens of his victims.
