By the time of his death in 2019, Jeffrey Epstein had built a financial empire worth $578 million—fueled by luxury properties, private Caribbean islands, and nearly $380 million in liquid assets and investments. While the source of this vast fortune remains murky, a closer look into financial documents and court records reveals a deeply entangled web of elite clients, strategic tax maneuvering, and persistent allegations of criminal exploitation.
Billionaire Backers and Questionable Deals
The core of Epstein’s wealth revolved around two powerful figures: retail magnate Les Wexner, founder of L Brands and Victoria’s Secret, and private equity titan Leon Black, cofounder of Apollo Global Management. These two men contributed an estimated $370 million to Epstein’s income over two decades—accounting for over 75% of his business fees.
Wexner’s relationship with Epstein began in the early 1990s and eventually included granting Epstein power of attorney and transferring a $56 million Manhattan mansion to him. Their partnership ended in 2007, after Wexner accused Epstein of misappropriating at least $46 million.
Following this fallout—and financial devastation from the 2008 crisis—Epstein found a new lifeline in Black, who paid him $170 million from 2012 to 2017 for tax and estate planning advice. Despite lacking formal contracts for many of these services, Black believed Epstein’s guidance yielded billions in value. He also loaned $30 million to an Epstein-linked company tied to flights transporting young women to his island properties.
Tax Havens and Controversial Incentives
Epstein established key business entities—Financial Trust Company and later Southern Trust—in the U.S. Virgin Islands, exploiting a local economic program that slashed his tax obligations by 90%. These breaks, intended to stimulate the island’s economy, allegedly saved him more than $300 million between 1999 and 2018.
However, in 2022, Epstein’s estate agreed to return $80 million to the Virgin Islands government, which claimed the benefits were fraudulently obtained to finance his trafficking network. Black, too, settled with the territory for $62.5 million in 2023 over his involvement.
The Mystery Persists
While Epstein claimed to cater exclusively to billionaires, much of his client roster remains sealed. Financial records show he earned $127 million in 2004 alone, including $15 million for linking JPMorgan to Highbridge Capital. Other known clients include Johnson & Johnson heiress Elizabeth Johnson and various unnamed public figures, according to Senate investigations.
Recent revelations suggest there’s still more to uncover. In July 2025, Senator Ron Wyden disclosed that the Senate Finance Committee had reviewed Treasury files containing over 4,700 Epstein-related transactions totaling $1.9 billion across multiple banks. Wyden accused the Department of Justice of overlooking critical financial evidence tied to Epstein’s criminal operations.
Epstein’s Legacy: Wealth Untouched, Questions Unanswered
Despite distributing over $160 million to victims and settling lawsuits, Epstein’s estate still holds $131 million in assets and received a $112 million IRS tax refund last year. Yet the full extent of his wealth—and the elite network that fueled and perhaps protected it—remains a puzzle still unfolding in the shadows of his crimes.
