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.