What We Know About Jeffrey Epstein’s Net Worth — and What Still Doesn’t Add Up

Jeffrey Epstein’s life left behind more questions than answers — and his fortune is no exception. As court documents continue to surface, and public curiosity resurfaces, one question remains front and center: What was Jeffrey Epstein’s net worth, and how did he make it?

At the time of his death in 2019, according to Forbes, Jeffrey was a convicted sex offender awaiting trial on federal charges. He also owned multiple properties, two private islands, and maintained financial ties with some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in the world. According to multiple reports, including court filings, his estate was worth nearly $600 million. But how he built that wealth — and who helped him do it — remains a mystery that continues to draw scrutiny.

Jeffrey’s official net worth, based on estate filings and financial records, was estimated between $560 million and $600 million at the time of his death.

According to both Forbes and CBS News, his assets included a wide range of high-value holdings:

• A 28,000-square-foot Manhattan townhouse, valued at over $50 million
• A mansion in Palm Beach, Fla., worth $12 million
• A New Mexico ranch, listed at more than $17 million
• An apartment in Paris, valued at approximately $8.6 million
• Two Caribbean islands, later sold for $60 million
• A private jet and luxury vehicles
• Cash and investments totaling over $370 million, including a $170 million stake in Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures

Court documents show that Jeffrey’s estate remained active in the years following his death — paying out more than $160 million in victim compensation, repaying debts, and even receiving a $112 million tax refund. As of 2025, the estate still held over $130 million in remaining assets.

This is the question that has fueled decades of speculation. Jeffrey never graduated from college, and his early resume included a short-lived role as a math teacher. Yet, he managed to enter the financial world through a connection at Bear Stearns and eventually launched his own wealth management firm in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

From 1999 to 2018, Jeffrey’s two core businesses generated more than $800 million in revenue, according to Forbes. But nearly all of that came from just two billionaire clients.

Les Wexner, founder of L Brands (Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works), paid Jeffrey an estimated $200 million and gave him power of attorney over his finances, according to The New York Times. Les also transferred ownership of his NYC townhouse to Jeffrey and allowed him deep access to his personal and business empire.

Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, paid Jeffrey approximately $170 million between 2012 and 2017 for estate and tax planning services, per The New York Times. Those payments accounted for the majority of Jeffrey’s business income during that period.

Other clients included Johnson & Johnson heiress Elizabeth Johnson, billionaire Glenn Dubin, and reportedly several unnamed high-net-worth individuals. In one notable year alone, Jeffrey earned $127 million in revenues — largely from introducing a hedge fund to JPMorgan Chase.

Jeffrey positioned himself as a tax and estate planning expert, charging clients as much as $40 million per year for his services. Yet, many of these arrangements lacked written contracts, and in some cases, the scope of his work remains undocumented.

In addition to fees from billionaire clients, a major part of Jeffrey’s financial success came from aggressive tax planning in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He relocated his companies there in the late 1990s, taking advantage of the territory’s Economic Development Program, which offered:

• Up to 90 percent exemptions on corporate income tax
• 100 percent exemption from gross receipts and excise taxes
• Minimal requirements, such as hiring 10 local employees and investing in the local economy

These incentives allowed Jeffrey to dramatically reduce his tax burden. Between 1999 and 2018, he paid only about $41 million in taxes — an estimated effective rate of 4 percent, according to Forbes. The tax savings were so substantial that the Virgin Islands later sought to recoup more than $80 million in a legal settlement with his estate, claiming the benefits were “fraudulently obtained.”

Even years after Jeffrey’s death, questions about his finances persist. In 2025, per Forbes, Senator Ron Wyden revealed that investigators had uncovered more than 4,700 transactions totaling nearly $2 billion through Jeffrey’s accounts at four major banks. This resulted in the Senate Finance Committee calling on the Department of Justice to review financial records related to Jeffrey’s network of companies, loans, and cash transfers. So, as of 2025, the mystery of his wealth is still ongoing.