THE NEW YORK TIMES: Answering the big questions about Jeffrey Epstein

Few, if any, figures in recent history have caused as much legal, political, financial and reputational upheaval as Jeffrey Epstein. A convicted sex offender, Epstein was connected to many of the world’s richest and most influential people and institutions. He died in prison in 2019.

The public fascination with Epstein intensified after President Donald Trump initially refused to release federal investigative records after pledging to do so. In late 2025 and early 2026, Congress and the Justice Department did release millions of pages of documents related to Epstein that have helped answer questions, though many mysteries remain.

The New York Times has been investigating Epstein’s finances, enablers and possible co-conspirators since his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019. Based on our continuing reporting, here is what we know.

What’s the latest?

The most recent revelations about Epstein include:

The release of a suicide note purported to be written by him

On May 6, a federal judge released the handwritten note, which has not been authenticated by the Times but uses language that in some cases echoes Epstein’s past writings to friends and family.

What did he do to girls and women?

Epstein has been accused by prosecutors and victims of raping, abusing and trafficking girls and young women. It was a vast, yearslong operation that involved:

Recruiting girls who said they were raped or sexually abused

In the mid-2000s, federal and state authorities identified more than a dozen such teenage girls in Florida. In many cases, Epstein’s longtime companion Ghislaine Maxwell recruited them under the pretense that they would be masseuses for a wealthy man at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trafficking minors in both New York and Florida

Federal prosecutors later accused Epstein of abusing and trafficking dozens of girls at his town house in the Manhattan borough of New York City, as well as in Palm Beach, from at least 2002 to 2005. He lured some by posing as a talent scout for Victoria’s Secret.

Later shifting his focus to young women and aspiring models

After he served time in a Florida jail for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Epstein appears to have shifted focus from underage victims to young women. He was often surrounded by aspiring models from Russia and Eastern Europe, some of whom later said they felt trapped under his control.

Introducing women to male friends and business associates

Some have accused several of those friends and associates of rape, though the men deny it.

Hundreds of women coming forward after his death in 2019

They have accused him of raping or abusing them, including when they were girls — allegations that in some cases date to the early 1990s. At least one of those women, Virginia Giuffre, has died by suicide.

How did he get away with it for so long?

The federal government repeatedly missed opportunities to fully investigate or charge Epstein, until 2019. The missteps and lost opportunities included:

A tip about nude photos ignored by the FBI

In 1996, Maria Farmer called the FBI to tell the agency that Epstein had stolen nude photos of her underage sister. It ignored the tip for roughly a decade.

A sweetheart deal negotiated with federal authorities

In 2005, the parents of a 14-year-old girl told Palm Beach police that she had been paid to give a sexual massage to Epstein. That set off a state and federal investigation. While authorities identified dozens of underage victims, the Justice Department — including the U.S. attorney for southern Florida at the time, Alexander Acosta — negotiated a deal: Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from just one minor.

An easy jail sentence that allowed him to work from his office

The agreement also shielded any “potential co-conspirators,” including his female assistants, from prosecution. Although Epstein served his sentence in the county stockade, he was allowed to spend much of his jail time working from his office.

An ability to return to society after just 13 months

After being released early from his 18-month sentence, Epstein was welcomed back into elite society, attending parties, hosting dinners and continuing to do business with major financial institutions.

Multiple secret federal investigations that bore no results

In the 2010s, a number of federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigated Epstein, but he wasn’t charged.

A decision not to investigate sex trafficking allegations made by some of his victims

In 2016, lawyers for some of Epstein’s victims urged federal prosecutors in New York to investigate him for sex trafficking. The prosecutors chose not to.

Opening an investigation that resulted in new charges only after the Miami Herald published articles about the 2008 deal

It wasn’t until 2018, after the newspaper wrote a series about the 2008 deal in Florida, that federal prosecutors in New York opened a criminal investigation. It culminated in Epstein being charged with sex trafficking in July 2019.

Where did all his money come from?

Epstein amassed a nine-figure fortune through scams, fraud and the careful cultivation of billionaires and banks. His financial success involved:

Making key connections in the 1970s at a prominent investment bank

Epstein’s first big break was landing a job at Bear Stearns in 1976. He eventually resigned after being caught improperly lending money to a client and violating rules around stock offerings, but he used the connections he forged there to jump-start his career as a financial trickster.

Duping the wealthy into giving him large sums for investments that never seemed to materialize

In the 1980s, Epstein, claiming to be a financial savant, engaged in a series of escalating scams.

Nurturing a lucrative relationship with the billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret and The Limited

In the late 1980s, a mutual acquaintance introduced him to Leslie Wexner, who ran the two retail companies. Wexner entrusted Epstein with full control over his finances before cutting ties with him around 2007. Wexner later said Epstein stole more than $100 million from him.

Receiving $170 million from another billionaire client

In 2012, Epstein began working for his longtime friend Leon Black, the co-founder of private equity firm Apollo Global Management who said the money was for tax and estate planning work. Epstein also introduced Black to young women.

Obtaining money and services from JPMorgan Chase, the country’s largest bank

From the late 1990s through 2013, JPMorgan Chase, arguably the world’s most prestigious bank, serviced Epstein, despite employees’ concerns about his potential money laundering. In 2013, he switched to Deutsche Bank, which also ignored repeated red flags.

How did he build his network?

The combination of great wealth and a reputation for seeming to know everyone enabled Epstein to insinuate himself into the lives of important people in politics, business, the arts and academia. His strategy entailed:

Doling out millions of dollars to entice people into his orbit

As his fortune grew, Epstein made big donations to prestigious universities like Harvard and to individual scientists. The money led Nobel laureates and other leading intellectual figures to regularly socialize with and seek favor from him, and their presence helped grow his circle of influence.

Trading favors with prominent doctors, financiers and academics

Some of the doctors and others bent or broke the ethical rules of their profession, which allowed Epstein to offer perks to other acquaintances, like access to premier medical care, investment opportunities with hedge funds or a potential edge in school admissions.

Flaunting his connections to a who’s who of the global power elite

Epstein’s vast Manhattan town house became the venue for regular dinner salons for an eclectic mix of artists, scientists, intellectuals, lawyers and businesspeople. Visitors were greeted with photo arrays exhibiting Epstein’s ties to the ruling class.

Using his ties to President Bill Clinton to cement his reputation

One of his most valuable connections was to the former president. The relationship helped catapult Epstein into the public spotlight and secure his image as a whisperer to the rich and powerful.

Cultivating relationships with Wall Street players and foreign dignitaries

Epstein also boasted extensive Wall Street connections to CEOs (such as James Cayne and Jes Staley); investment tycoons (such as Glenn Dubin and Black); and powerful lawyers (such as Brad Karp and Kathy Ruemmler). And he collected high-profile friends and associates overseas, including Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and top Norwegian politicians.

What were his relationships with Trump and Clinton?

Epstein was friends with Trump long before he became president, and he developed a relationship with Clinton during his time in the White House. Those relationships involved:

Bonding with Trump over their pursuit of young women

The two men became good friends in the late 1980s, hanging out together at casinos, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and other venues. A note and sexually suggestive drawing containing what appeared to be Trump’s signature was included in a 2003 book for Epstein’s birthday. Trump has denied writing the note.

Recruiting victims from Mar-a-Lago

Some of Epstein’s victims, including Giuffre, were recruited by Maxwell from Trump’s Florida club and residence, where Giuffre worked as a spa attendant. Trump said last year that he cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s because he “stole” his female employees, although the relationship also deteriorated when the men fought over a piece of Florida real estate.

Visiting the White House during the Clinton presidency

Shortly after Clinton was sworn in as president, Epstein made his first visit. Visitor logs show that he came back numerous times during Clinton’s first term, though it is unclear how often he met the president. In 1995, Clinton wrote a get-well-soon note to Epstein’s mother on a Post-it.

Drawing the spotlight by flying Clinton to Africa on a private plane

In 2002, after Clinton left the White House, Epstein flew him and others to several African countries. The trip was one of the first times that Epstein attracted significant media attention.

Flaunting his relationships with both men

Epstein’s New York mansion showcased photos of him with each of them. When Trump became president, Epstein at times presented himself as someone who had inside knowledge about the administration, though it was most likely an act. Both Trump and Clinton have said they knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal activity.

Why weren’t more people charged?

Epstein’s inner circle and the financiers and banks that enabled him faced allegations of wrongdoing. But U.S. prosecutors charged only one person other than Epstein. The legal trail included:

The conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell for conspiring to sexually abuse girls

She is the only person other than Epstein to face criminal charges in the United States. In 2021, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Some Republicans have expressed support for the idea that Trump would pardon her.

The decision not to charge at least one former personal assistant

In the months after Epstein’s death, federal authorities investigated a number of Epstein’s former personal assistants, who were accused by some victims of participating in his sex trafficking operation. Prosecutors considered charging at least one, but they ultimately opted not to, perhaps because she said she was also one of Epstein’s victims.

A free pass from federal prosecutors for some people that were closest to Epstein

Federal prosecutors apparently didn’t interview or subpoena Wexner, Black, Epstein’s longtime accountant Richard Kahn and lawyer Darren Indyke. A federal document described Wexner as a co-conspirator, though his spokesperson denied that the government ever considered him one.

No charges by local prosecutors in Manhattan against two men accused of sexual misconduct

Federal authorities interviewed women who accused Black and Staley, a former top JPMorgan executive, of sexual misconduct — allegations that both men deny. Prosecutors relayed those accusations to officials in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which did not bring charges.

Subpoenas but no charges of wrongdoing against JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank

As part of their investigations into Epstein, federal prosecutors subpoenaed the two banks that provided him with the greatest financial support, JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank. The prosecutors appeared to have quickly decided against charging either institution with wrongdoing.

Arrests but no criminal charges in Britain against two prominent men connected to Epstein

Police departments and prosecutors in some other countries recently have taken a more aggressive approach. In Britain, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, and Peter Mandelson, a former top government official, have been arrested in connection with Epstein investigations. Neither has been charged.

Other consequences for high-profile people for their associations with Epstein

The Times continues to track that fallout.

How did he die?

Epstein spent 36 days at the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City before he was found dead in his cell Aug. 10, 2019. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. The circumstances around his death include:

He may have tried to kill himself weeks earlier

Epstein was found unresponsive with a cloth tied around his neck in his cell 2 1/2 weeks before his death. He denied trying to take his own life, but he was psychologically evaluated and placed on suicide watch for barely a day.

His cellmate said he found a suicide note after that incident but did not share it with authorities

The cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, said the note was written by Epstein. It was sealed by a federal court for years. The Times successfully petitioned the court to unseal the note in May. It has not been authenticated but bears similarities to known writings by Epstein.

Epstein was left alone in his cell the evening before he was found dead

As one of the highest-profile federal inmates, Epstein was supposed to be under close supervision and to have a cellmate. But he was left alone in a cell on the evening of Aug. 9, 2019. Other inmates reported to jail authorities that he was despondent.

Two guards faked records stating they had checked on Epstein and other inmates

Guards were supposed to make regular rounds to check on prisoners. But on Epstein’s last night, the two guards on duty in his area stayed by their desks. The guards were criminally charged, but the charges were withdrawn as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.

Members of the jail staff tried and failed to resuscitate him after he was found hanging

Epstein was found unconscious early on the morning of Aug. 10 with a strip of orange bedding cinched around his neck. He was soon pronounced dead, in what was later ruled a suicide.

Epstein’s brother and others have suggested he was killed

From virtually the moment his death was announced, there have been doubts and unfounded speculation about the circumstances. His brother, Mark Epstein, is among those who don’t believe he killed himself. The Department of Justice reexamined the death in 2023 and found no evidence of a conspiracy or criminality.

What are the Epstein files?

The phrase usually refers to the millions of Epstein investigation documents that Congress directed the Justice Department to release. But there have been more. Over the years, all three branches of the U.S. government have released records, and media outlets, including the Times, have obtained documents through leaks or public records requests. The materials include:

Unsealed court records from a defamation lawsuit

In August 2019, a federal appeals court unsealed one of the first main caches of Epstein-related files, part of a defamation lawsuit brought against Maxwell by Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most outspoken victims. The files included depositions, photos, flight logs and other materials that gave the public a powerful glimpse into Epstein’s crimes and network. The morning after the files were unsealed, he was found dead in his jail cell.

Bank files from lawsuits against JPMorgan, which had a 15-year relationship with Epstein

The trove of documents dribbled into public view in 2023 during a court fight between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the bank. Those files showed the chummy relationships between Epstein and senior bank executives.

Photos and documents obtained by the Times

In 2025, the Times obtained thousands of Epstein’s photos and documents, which showed the inside of his Upper East Side mansion — including surveillance cameras in his bedroom area — and some of his correspondence with men such as Woody Allen and Black.

Thousands of leaked emails from Epstein’s Yahoo account

Bloomberg News published several articles based on thousands of emails from Epstein’s Yahoo account. Those emails and others were later posted for public perusal on a site called Jmail.

Millions of pages of records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act

After taking office in 2025, Trump backtracked on his earlier pledges to release the government’s files on Epstein. That led to a political uproar. Congress then passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the administration to release its files. In December and January, the Justice Department released millions of pages of records.

Omissions related to continuing investigations and other missing files

The Justice Department said it decided not to release many other records, because they would identify victims or could jeopardize ongoing federal investigations. Other documents appeared to simply be missing. That has stoked speculation about a possible cover-up.

Many documents with improper redactions

The Justice Department blacked out the names of some government lawyers or potential co-conspirators. It failed to protect victims’ names and included nude photos of potential victims. The Justice Department’s internal watchdog is now investigating whether the department’s disclosures followed the law.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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