The Mysterious Wealth of Jeffrey Epstein, and What He Did With It
Jeffrey Epstein, the well-connected financier recently indicted on federal child sex trafficking charges, was once called an "international moneyman of mystery" — and for good reason.
Epstein once taught high school math at the elite Manhattan private school Dalton, and was a partner at Bear Stearns Investment, before founding a wealth management company for billionaires in the 1980s.
But little is known about his firm or who his clients are — or how he acquired his seven-story mansion on the Upper East Side.
Epstein faced similar charges from federal prosecutors in Miami before, in 2007. And if that case is any indication, his reported wealth could play a part in how the current charges play out. "Attorneys representing these alleged victims and extensive reporting from the Miami Herald suggested Epstein essentially was able to buy his way out of a federal conviction," said WNYC reporter Gwynne Hogan. "They say Epstein hired high priced politically-connected attorneys Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr, who managed to convince federal prosecutors to drop a sex trafficking case against him."
Listen to Hogan's full conversation with "All Things Considered" host Jami Floyd.
