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Epstein’s private islands on market for $125M

Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s two private islands are up for sale for $125 million, his lawyer confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday.

“We confirm that the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein has listed for sale the two island properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands knowns as Little St. James and Great Saint James,” an attorney for the Epstein estate, Daniel Weiner, told The Hill.

He added that the sale effort is taking place with the support of U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George and that proceeds from any sale will be used by the estate for the resolution of outstanding lawsuits and the regular costs of the estate’s operations, and will be subject to potential claims by tax authorities, creditors and other parties.  

“The U.S. V.I. Attorney General filed liens against the island properties, and the proceeds of any sale will be deposited into liened accounts of the Estate,” Weiner said in an emailed statement.

“Adam Modlin of The Modlin Group and Bespoke Real Estate are marketing the islands in partnership with a local Virgin Islands firm, Christie’s International Real Estate The Saints,” he added.

The U.S. Virgin Island properties — Great St. James and Little St. James — cover around 230 acres in total, and the smaller of the two islands has a main residence, four guest villas, a helipad, two pools and three beaches.

The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal

Approximately $121 million of Epstein’s estate has already gone towards compensating victims of sexual assault through the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program, which ceased operations in August 2021, Weiner told The Journal.

Epstein’s accusers have claimed the financier and his confederates used the property in the U.S. Virgin Islands as a discreet location to sexually assault underage girls.

Epstein also owned properties in Paris, Palm Beach, Fla., and New Mexico.

He died in an apparent suicide in a Manhattan cell in 2019, while awaiting trial on allegations that he trafficked dozens of minors for sex.

A former pilot, Lawrence Visoski, testified at Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s hearing last year that he flew Epstein and his guests to and from his properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, Paris and Caribbean islands, but he did not see Epstein engage in wrongdoing with minors on his private plane.

Epstein purchased Little St. James in 1998 for $7.95 million and Great St. James in 2016 for $22.5 million. 

— Updated at 2:58 p.m.