The scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, expanded after a collection of unseen letters from influential individuals to Epstein, as well as photos from inside his notorious Manhattan mansion, were released by the New York Times.
These letters were compiled as a birthday tribute for Epstein’s 63rd birthday in 2016. Their release has increased speculation around the connections between Epstein and prominent figures, including US President Donald Trump. Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019, was known for maintaining a social circle of the world’s elite.
LETTERS EXPOSE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
According to the report, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his wife praised Epstein as “A COLLECTOR OF PEOPLE” and praised his curiosity, saying, “there is no limit to your curiosity.” They wished him a long, healthy life, hoping to continue enjoying his company for years to come.
Film director Woody Allen also wrote to Epstein, reminiscing about his dinner parties at Epstein’s Upper East Side townhouse, which he described as “always interesting.”
Allen mentioned the diverse guests, including “politicians, scientists, teachers, magicians, comedians, intellectuals, journalists” and “even royalty.” He also noted the service was often provided “by some professional houseman and just as often by several young women” who reminded him of “Castle Dracula where Lugosi has three young female vampires who service the place.”
Other letter writers were billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman, linguist Noam Chomsky and his wife, Joichi Ito, former head of MIT Media Lab, physicist Lawrence Krauss, and Harvard biologist Martin Nowak. While some declined to comment, Krauss said he did not recall the letter but remembered “several lunches with very interesting discussions” at Epstein’s home.
PHOTOS SHOW EPSTEIN WITH GLOBAL POWER PLAYERS
The Times also published images of Epstein’s seven-story mansion. The photos show a taxidermied tiger and a first-edition copy of Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel Lolita — a story of a man’s sexual obsession with a young girl — prominently displayed.
Surveillance cameras were found in Epstein’s bedroom and adjacent rooms. In the so-called “massage room,” where many victims say they were assaulted, there were paintings of naked women, shelves stocked with lubricants, and a large silver ball and chain.
Photographs on the walls show Epstein alongside longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell — who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking — as well as famous figures like Pope John Paul II, Mick Jagger, Elon Musk, Fidel Castro, Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Richard Branson, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
One photo frame displayed a dollar bill signed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates with the note “I was wrong!” which the Times speculated might have been a bet payment.
The mansion also featured eerie dcor such as framed prosthetic eyeballs near the entrance and a suspended sculpture of a woman in a bridal gown clutching a rope in the central atrium. A chalkboard with a map of Israel bore the signature of former Israeli Prime Minister Barak.
Epstein died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death has fuelled numerous conspiracy theories, partly due to his ties to powerful individuals.
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