The Complicated Orbit of Jeffrey Epstein

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- He flew to his Caribbean islands on private jets and counted royalty among his friends. His business interests—those that can be identified, that is—were just as rarefied. Federal prosecutors, who say Epstein’s worth more than $500 million, arrested him earlier this month and charged him with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. The allegations came more than a decade after a deal in Florida saw him plead guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution instead of facing more serious federal sex-trafficking charges. Since Epstein’s arrest, Wall Street, Manhattan society, and corporate America have tried to distance themselves from the disgraced financier, who has pleaded not guilty. But the more that’s revealed about his life—and the tangle of political, legal, and business connections that sustained him—the more questions are raised. The piles of cash, diamonds, and an expired foreign passport—with Epstein’s photo and a different name—that prosecutors found in a safe in his Manhattan mansion only add to the intrigue. Getting a clear picture is challenging, but here’s a partial accounting of his entanglements.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bret Begun at bbegun@bloomberg.net

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