Epstein's Caribbean islands list for US$125m: WSJ

[SINGAPORE] Two private Caribbean islands that belonged to Jeffrey Epstein, the late paedophile financier who died in jail, are on sale for US$125 million.

The US Virgin Islands property - Great St James and Little St James - spans about 230 acres (93 ha), according to the listing, termed the "Jameses". The smaller of the islands has a main residence, guest villas, a helipad, 2 pools and 3 beaches. The larger one, across the bay from St Thomas, is largely untouched with a marine preserve known as Christmas Cove.

Epstein, a resident of the Virgin Islands for more than 2 decades, was accused of trafficking and sexually abusing young women and underage girls on the properties, which locals dubbed Paedophile Island and Orgy Island.

New York-based Modlin Group, one of the agents marketing the sale, declined to comment. The proceeds will go toward resolving outstanding lawsuits against the Epstein estate and the regular costs of its operations, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the listing.

Epstein bought Little St James in 1998 for US$7.95 million and nearby Great St James in 2016 for US$22.5 million. He also amassed properties in Paris, Palm Beach and New Mexico, flying between them on his private jets until he was arrested for sex trafficking of minors in 2019. Weeks later, he hanged himself in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.

Epstein's Manhattan mansion, a 50-foot-wide limestone property on the Upper East Side, sold last year for US$51 million, with the proceeds going to a compensation fund for victims. Former Goldman Sachs Group banker Michael Daffey, who paid about 40 per cent below its original listing target, has said he was planning a "complete makeover - physically and spiritually" before moving in. BLOOMBERG

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