Jeffrey Epstein's Caribbean island, accused of hosting sex parties and other debauchery for minors, is set for a major rebranding.
The new owners of a late financier's perverted playground in the US Virgin Islands (informally known as Pedophile Island) are working to transform it into a glitzy new resort. I'm here.
Billionaire Stephen Deckoff paid $60 million for Great St. James and Little St. James, with the smaller of the two becoming Epstein's former property.
According to reports, the co-founder of Black Diamond Capital Management hopes to open the new attraction sometime in 2025.
The islands were initially listed for $125 million in 2021, with the majority of the proceeds supporting efforts to compensate Epstein's victims.
Unable to find a buyer, the price was lowered to $110 million in 2022, but Deckoff swooped in last May.
Epstein, who hanged himself in a Manhattan prison in 2018, hosted a parade of celebrities he had brought into his orbit over the years.
After Epstein's death, hundreds of women from around the world have come forward, saying they were promised modeling contracts and better lives by Epstein and his associates, including his ex-girlfriends, before being sex-trafficked to the island and often abused as minors. testifies that it was done. Fixer Ghislaine Maxwell.
A judge is expected to unseal a trove of documents related to the activities of the former jet-flying financial tycoon as early as Tuesday.
Although much of the Little St. James property will be renovated, Deckoff will reportedly not demolish Epstein's former home.
Instead, developers plan to “convert” it into a glittering hotel.
FBI agents are photographed on August 12, 2019, on Little St. James Island, one of late financier Jeffrey Epstein's properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This image obtained via social media. Reuters
“I have been proud to call the U.S. Virgin Islands home for more than a decade and am thrilled to help make this region a world-class destination worthy of its natural bounty and beauty.” Deckoff told the Financial Times in May. purchase.
Dekhoff, who is reportedly worth $3 billion, purchased the 165-acre Great St. James Bay and 70-acre Little St. James Bay, adding to his already expansive real estate portfolio. strengthened.
The financial mogul lives in a $12 million waterfront estate in St. John's Peter Bay and also owns other trophy properties in Beverly Hills and New York.
Epstein bought Little St. James, the epicenter of his fraud, in 1998 for just $7.95 million. He then bought Great St. James in 2016 for nearly $20 million, but never significantly developed it during his lifetime.
This small island was home to five buildings, including Epstein's main luxury villa, library, theater, cinema, and bathhouse.
According to previous real estate listings, “Epstein Island” includes “a helipad, private dock, gas station, high-capacity water filter, two pools, main compound, four guest villas, three private beaches, a gym, and a tiki hut. , ” and other structures.
Epstein's watchdogs have long scrutinized the island's large temple-like compound, which features a golden dome, a blue-and-white striped exterior and a statue of the Greek god Poseidon.
AP
Epstein, along with his co-defendant Ghislaine Maxwell, welcomed a procession of world powers, including former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew, to his compound.
Maxwell, who remains incarcerated in Florida, helped procure underage girls to satisfy the desires of Epstein and some of his associates, authorities alleged.
