Epstein's Properties: From Little St. James to the Manhattan Mansion

A Geography of Abuse

Jeffrey Epstein did not simply have wealth. He had a geography -- a network of properties scattered across state lines and international borders, each serving a distinct function within a trafficking operation that spanned decades. From a private island in the Caribbean to the largest private residence in Manhattan, from a secluded New Mexico ranch to a Paris apartment steps from the Arc de Triomphe, Epstein constructed a real estate empire designed not just for luxury but for control, isolation, and impunity.

The properties were never incidental. They were infrastructure. Victims have described being moved between them, shuttled by private jet and helicopter from one location to the next. The geographic spread created jurisdictional complexity. The isolation of certain sites -- an island, a ranch -- made escape nearly impossible. And the opulence of others -- a Manhattan townhouse, a Parisian address -- lent an air of legitimacy that kept questions at bay for years.

Little St. James Island, US Virgin Islands

Of all Epstein's properties, none carries more infamy than Little St. James -- the 71.5-acre private island in the US Virgin Islands that victims and the press came to call "Pedophile Island."

Epstein purchased the island in 1998 and transformed it into a private compound. The property included a main residence, multiple guest houses, a helipad, pools, a private beach, cabanas, and the so-called "temple" -- a blue-and-white striped structure perched on a hilltop that became one of the most recognizable images of the case. The purpose of the temple has been the subject of extensive speculation and victim testimony. What is not in dispute is that it existed, that it was built to Epstein's specifications, and that it sat on an island where the only way in or out was by boat or aircraft controlled by Epstein and his associates.

The flight logs tell part of the story. Our database records 163 flights into Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, the nearest commercial airport, plus 31 direct helicopter landings on the island itself. Passengers were then ferried by helicopter or boat to the island. Ghislaine Maxwell frequently accompanied Epstein on these trips and, according to multiple victim depositions, played a central role in recruiting and managing the young women brought to the island.

Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers, described being brought to Little St. James repeatedly beginning at age 16. In her depositions, she detailed encounters with powerful men on the island and described the property as a place where there was no escape -- surrounded by water, with no phone access, and no way to leave without Epstein's permission.

The island was also a social hub. Flight logs and witness accounts place numerous high-profile figures at Little St. James over the years. The guest list -- a mix of politicians, scientists, business leaders, and celebrities -- created a veneer of normalcy that victims say made it harder for them to be believed.

9 East 71st Street, Manhattan

The seven-story, 21,000-square-foot townhouse on the Upper East Side was not just Epstein's New York residence -- it was, by some accounts, the largest private home in Manhattan. Its story begins not with Epstein but with Leslie Wexner, the billionaire founder of L Brands (Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works).

Wexner purchased the property in 1989 for approximately $13.2 million. In 1991, he granted Epstein sweeping power of attorney over his financial affairs, a relationship documented in Epstein's financial disclosure and the Wexner power of attorney filing. By 1998, the townhouse had been transferred to Epstein under circumstances that have never been fully explained. Wexner has said he severed ties with Epstein around 2007, but the nature of their financial relationship -- and how Epstein came to own one of the most valuable private residences in New York -- remains one of the case's enduring mysteries.

The townhouse served as Epstein's base of operations. Victims described being brought there for encounters. Staff described a property filled with surveillance cameras. And when the FBI finally executed a search warrant on July 6, 2019, what they found inside shocked even seasoned investigators.

The State of Florida v. Epstein guilty plea and the sealed SDNY indictment both reference conduct that took place at the Manhattan residence. The property was later valued at approximately $56 million and was sold as part of the estate liquidation following Epstein's death.

358 El Brillo Way, Palm Beach

If Little St. James was the most notorious property, Palm Beach was where the legal system first caught up with Epstein -- and where its failures were most starkly exposed.

The Palm Beach mansion at 358 El Brillo Way was a waterfront estate in one of the wealthiest zip codes in America. It was here, in March 2005, that the mother of a 14-year-old girl contacted the Palm Beach Police Department to report that her daughter had been taken to the house and sexually abused.

What police found at 358 El Brillo Way painted a picture of methodical operation. Hidden cameras were installed throughout the property. Message pads contained the names and contact information of dozens of young women. Photographs were discovered. The evidence pointed to a pipeline: young girls, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, were recruited by other girls with promises of $200-$300 for "massages" at the mansion. Once there, the encounters escalated.

The Palm Beach investigation led to Epstein's arrest in 2006 -- and then to the controversial non-prosecution agreement (NPA) brokered by then-US Attorney Alexander Acosta in 2007. Under the NPA, Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges, served 13 months in a county jail with extraordinary work-release privileges, and registered as a sex offender. Federal charges were dropped. The deal, struck without notifying victims as required by law, would later be ruled illegal by a federal judge.

Palm Beach was the origin point. It was where the system had its first real chance to stop Epstein -- and where that chance was squandered for over a decade.

Zorro Ranch, Stanley, New Mexico

Roughly 10,000 acres of high desert outside the small town of Stanley, New Mexico, Zorro Ranch was Epstein's most remote property -- and perhaps the one that best reveals the grandiosity of his self-image.

The ranch was a sprawling compound with a main residence, guest houses, an airstrip, and extensive grounds. Twenty-six flights to Santa Fe Municipal Airport are recorded in the flight logs, connecting the ranch to Epstein's network of private aviation. The remoteness was the point. Located roughly 35 miles southeast of Santa Fe, surrounded by empty rangeland, it was a place where visitors could come and go with minimal public attention.

Former employees and visitors have described young women being brought to the ranch. The New Mexico Attorney General's office investigated but faced challenges -- Epstein's death in August 2019 ended the criminal inquiry before charges could be brought.

It was also at Zorro Ranch that Epstein reportedly discussed his most bizarre ambitions. According to reporting by the New York Times, Epstein told scientists and others that he wanted to "seed the human race with his DNA" by impregnating numerous women at the ranch. He reportedly discussed cryogenically freezing his head and genetic material. These conversations took place in the context of dinners and gatherings attended by prominent scientists, who were drawn to the ranch by Epstein's funding and his claims of intellectual curiosity.

The ranch stands as a reminder that Epstein's network extended far beyond the coasts. In a state with limited resources for investigation, on a property shielded by thousands of acres of empty land, the same patterns played out far from the scrutiny that eventually caught up to him in New York and Florida.

22 Avenue Foch, Paris

Epstein's Paris apartment at 22 Avenue Foch -- one of the most prestigious addresses in the city, in the 8th arrondissement near the Arc de Triomphe -- represented the European arm of his operation.

The Paris connection runs through Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent who founded the MC2 modeling agency with Epstein's financial backing. Brunel, according to victim testimony and court filings, used MC2 as a pipeline, recruiting young women -- some underage -- from Eastern Europe and South America under the pretense of modeling careers, then funneling them to Epstein.

The Avenue Foch apartment served as a node in this pipeline. French authorities launched a formal investigation in 2019, and Brunel was arrested in December 2020 at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a flight to Senegal. He was charged with rape of minors and trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation.

Brunel never stood trial. On February 19, 2022, he was found dead in his Paris jail cell. Authorities ruled his death a suicide by hanging -- a finding that drew immediate and widespread skepticism given the parallels to Epstein's own death in a Manhattan federal jail cell in August 2019.

The Paris property and the Brunel connection illustrate how Epstein's operation was not confined to American soil. It was an international network, leveraging the fashion industry, private aviation, and properties in multiple countries to move victims across borders with minimal detection.

Inside the Estates: The House Oversight Photos

In December 2025, the House Oversight Committee released a trove of 92 photographs from Epstein's properties as part of its ongoing investigation. These images, many of them taken during law enforcement searches, provide a rare visual record of the interiors where so much of the documented conduct took place.

The photos show opulent rooms, personal effects, and the kind of detail that documents and depositions cannot fully convey -- the scale of the properties, the art on the walls, the spaces described by victims in their testimony. Some photos show Epstein with prominent individuals. Others show property interiors, furnishings, and personal items. Portions of certain images have been redacted to protect victim identities.

We have catalogued all 92 photos in our Photo Gallery, where you can browse the collection, filter by identified persons, and view full-resolution images. These photos add a visual dimension to the documentary record that text alone cannot provide.

Explore the Full Location Database

The properties tell a story that no single document can. They reveal the architecture of the operation -- how geographic isolation, jurisdictional complexity, and the trappings of extreme wealth created an environment where abuse could continue for decades before the system finally intervened. Understanding the properties means understanding how the network functioned, and why it took so long to dismantle.