Jeffrey Epstein’s plans to dole out his wealth and properties, including the infamous “Pedo Island,” were revealed in the tranche of files released by the Department of Justice.
Epstein signed an updated will two days before he died by suicide in August 2019. Karyna Shuliak, Epstein’s last-known girlfriend, was set to inherit $50 million and several of his properties, including his notorious private island, Little Saint James.
The last version of Epstein’s will placed his fortune in the newly formed 1953 Trust, which shielded at least 44 beneficiaries from the public. With the DOJ’s Friday drop of files, many of the intended recipients, including Belarus native Shuliak, have been identified.
Epstein’s beneficiaries ultimately did not receive his money or property. ABC News reported that $288 million was to be distributed, but Epstein’s estate has only $127 million left after paying out victim settlements. That remainder is tied up in the U.S. Virgin Islands court system.
The private island was not the only property Epstein willed Shuliak. She was also bequeathed Epstein’s property on Great Saint James, his New York City penthouse, his Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, his Palm Beach, Florida, residence, and his Parisian apartment. She was to be given $5 million to cover operating costs on these properties.
Shuliak would also have been left with a nearly 33-carat diamond ring and 48 loose diamonds. Handwritten notes on the agreement revealed the ring had already been given to her “in contemplation of marriage.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime accomplice, was set to receive $10 million. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, although she has been attempting to get her conviction overturned.
Epstein’s lawyer, Darren Indyke, and accountant Richard Kahn were co-executors of Epstein’s estate. Indyke was to be left $50 million, and Kahn was to get $25 million.
Mark Epstein, the disgraced financier’s brother, was also supposed to get $10 million to be put in a trust for his children.
Various members of Epstein’s staff were to receive the remaining cash, with sums ranging from $1 million to $10 million. His longtime pilot, Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr., would have received $10 million. Some beneficiaries were redacted in the documents. The trust agreement also listed individuals whose personal loans would be forgiven after Epstein’s death.
In 2020, the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program was established as an alternative to civil litigation. Survivors brought their stories to an independent litigator to determine if they could receive a settlement, which would be paid out by Epstein’s estate. Accepting funds would require the victims to toss any existing lawsuits and bar them from coming after Epstein’s associates.
When the program was sunsetted in 2021, about $121 million was paid out to over 135 people. Banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, also reached settlements with Epstein’s victims after they were sued for facilitating his crimes. Both institutions denied wrongdoing.
The newly uncovered trust agreement was part of the Justice Department’s ongoing release of files related to Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the DOJ’s obligations were “completed” on Friday. Blanche said the Justice Department finished releasing documents. Only half of the 6 million pages it collected were released.
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