Little Saint James, U.S. Virgin Islands Explained
Little Saint James is a small private island in the United States Virgin Islands, southeast of Saint Thomas. It was owned by American financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 1998 until his death in 2019. During Epstein's ownership the island acquired the nickname Epstein Island.
Geography
See main article: Geography of the United States Virgin Islands. Little Saint James is a small island (or islet)[1] with an area of 70 to 78 acres (28 to 32 ha). It is in the United States Virgin Islands,[2] located southeast of neighboring Great Saint James, both off the southern coast of the larger St. Thomas island[3] and belonging to the subdistrict East End, St. Thomas.
The Virgin Islands are mountain peaks rising from the Caribbean ocean floor.[4] The trade winds (prevailing east-to-west winds near Earth's equator) dominate its climate and local weather, with stronger winds and less rain during winter.[5]
Ownership
Little Saint James is a private island. In 1997, Little St. James was owned by venture capitalist Arch Cummin and was for sale for $10.5 million.[6] In April 1998, a company called L.S.J. LLC purchased the island for $7.95 million, and documents showed that Jeffrey Epstein was the sole member of L.S.J.[7] [8] In 2019, the island was valued at $63,874,223.[9] The island was Epstein's primary residence,[10] [11] and he called the island "Little St. Jeff".[2] [12] The main house on the island was renovated by Edward Tuttle, a designer of the Aman Resorts.[2] In 2008, Epstein's estate on Little Saint James had 70 staff.[13] According to a former staffer, Epstein insisted on discretion and confidentiality from his employees.[8]
In March 2022, Little Saint James and the neighboring Great Saint James were listed at $125 million. A lawyer for Epstein's estate stated that the money obtained from the sale would be used to settle a number of lawsuits. Bespoke Real Estate, the agency jointly overseeing the sale, stated that further information on the listing was only available to prospective buyers.[14] [15]
In May 2023, billionaire Stephen Deckoff, under his firm SD Investments, announced the acquisition of the Great St. James and Little St. James islands for $60 million.[16]
Buildings
In 1997, the island had a main house, three guest cottages, a caretaker's cottage, a private desalination system, a helipad, and a dock.[6] In addition, there is a blue-striped, boxlike building that initially was topped by a golden dome.[17] The purpose of this construction is unclear, as it deviates in substantial ways from the plans for the music pavilion that had been submitted for approval in 2010 by Epstein's architects.[17] The original building in the plans was of an octagonal footprint, rectangular in cross-section, and had two side rooms extending from the outside walls. It was also much lower in perspective, and the dome extended from the octagon over onto the roofs of the side buildings. The building that was eventually constructed was much taller, in the shape of a cube, and without any side rooms. The dome was also well within the footprint of the cube, and the building did not have any of the proposed finishes applied to the walls, nor was it constructed out of materials in those plans—namely, stone.
Visitors
David Copperfield proposed to Claudia Schiffer on Little St. James, three months after meeting her in 1993.[18]
Victoria's Secret models were among the guests a former Epstein employee saw there, and billionaire Les Wexner visited the island at least once.[8] Prince Andrew, Duke of York paid at least one visit aboard Epstein's private jet to the island, although former staff said he visited Little St. James several times.
Virginia Roberts, later known as Virginia Giuffre, states in a lawsuit that while working at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort[19] she was lured into a sex-trafficking ring run by Epstein and while traveling with Epstein she saw Bill Clinton on the island.[20] A Freedom of Information Act request for United States Secret Service records of visits Bill Clinton may have made to Little St. James produced no such evidence.[20] According to Epstein's flight logs, Clinton never flew near the U.S. Virgin Islands.[21] In July 2019, a Clinton spokesperson issued a statement saying Clinton never visited the island.[7] [22]
Jes Staley, the former head of Barclays, visited the island in 2015.[23]
Reputation under Epstein's ownership
The island acquired such nicknames as "Island of Sin", "Pedophile Island", "Orgy Island",[24] [25] and "Epstein Island".[26]
According to attorneys for Epstein's alleged victims, Little St. James is where many of the crimes against minors were committed by Epstein and friends who traveled there with him.[27] Court documents allege that then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts was forced by Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew on several occasions, including as part of an orgy on Little St. James.[28] Buckingham Palace has denied this allegation.[29] [30] A lawyer for Epstein has described the allegations of orgies by Roberts as "old and discredited".[31]
According to locals, Epstein continued to bring underage girls to the island in 2019, after he was registered as a sex offender.[32] In August 2019, following Epstein's death, FBI agents searched his residence on Little St. James.[33] [34]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Lesser Antilles : Barbados to the Virgin Islands . Cambridgeshire, England : Imray, Norie & Wilson Ltd. . 5 January 2024 . English . 1991.
- The Talented Mr. Epstein. Ward. Vicky. June 27, 2011. Vanity Fair. July 8, 2019. June 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150612144453/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303. live.
- Web site: Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who is friends with Donald Trump and Bill Clinton explained. Jane. Coaston. December 3, 2018. Vox. July 9, 2019. August 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190824222042/https://www.vox.com/2018/12/3/18116351/jeffrey-epstein-indictment-arrested-trump-clinton-acosta. live.
- Web site: VInow: Virgin Islands Geography . January 5, 2024. The islands are the peaks of submerged mountains that rise from the ocean floor....The geography of the islands consists of seaside cliffs, mountains with lush forest, tiny streams, arid lands and beautiful white sand beaches. . vinow.com .
- Web site: Weather . U.S. National Park Service . January 5, 2024 . September 8, 2022 . The Tradewinds (the Easterlies) dominate the weather in the Virgin Islands, blowing east to west across the tropical Atlantic. The winter tends to bring stronger winds and less rain, and the summer tends to bring more rain and lighter winds..
- Web site: Private Properties. Wall Street Journal. April 18, 1997. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813052435/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB861139935702093000. live.
- News: Whispers, suspicion about Epstein on Caribbean island. Associated Press. July 11, 2019. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813012919/https://www.apnews.com/cd794044e8be4e619093582d6d3355d2. live.
- News: The Mystery Surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's Private Island . www.bloomberg.com . 12 July 2019 . 2019-07-26 . 2019-07-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190726204417/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-12/jeffrey-epstein-s-private-island-in-the-caribbean-has-gone-quiet . live .
- News: Court Documents Confirm Jeffrey Epstein Is Nowhere Near A Billionaire. Lisette Voytko. Forbes. July 16, 2019. August 13, 2019. August 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190812185508/https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/07/16/court-documents-confirm-jeffrey-epstein-is-nowhere-near-a-billionaire/#99ac0ce4cdfb. live.
- Web site: Jeffrey Epstein arrested on sex trafficking charges. miamiherald. 2019-07-08. 2019-07-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20190707032426/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html. live.
- News: Notorious Billionaire Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein Funded This 'Women's Empowerment' Advocate. Kate Briquelet|Lachlan. Cartwright. The Daily Beast. March 12, 2019. www.thedailybeast.com. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190708210806/https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaire-pedophile-jeffrey-epstein-funded-womens-empowerment-entrepreneur-lana-pozhidaeva. live.
- News: Financier Starts Sentence in Prostitution Case. Landon Jr.. Thomas. The New York Times. July 1, 2008. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190708214622/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/01epstein.html. live.
- Web site: INSIDE THE TIMES: July 1, 2008. New York Times. December 29, 2021. December 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211229210318/https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9C04EEDF133DF932A35754C0A96E9C8B63.html. live.
- News: Clarke . Sarah Paynter and Katherine . 2022-03-23 . Jeffrey Epstein's Private Islands in the Caribbean to List for $125 Million . en-US . Wall Street Journal . 2022-03-25 . 0099-9660 . 2022-03-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220324232153/https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands-in-the-caribbean-to-list-for-125-million-11647998425 . live .
- Web site: 2022-03-23 . Jeffrey Epstein's St. James Islands Listed For Sale . 2022-03-25 . St. Thomas Source . en-US . 2023-02-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230214160054/https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/03/23/jeffrey-epsteins-st-james-islands-listed-for-sale/ . live .
- Web site: Investments . S. D. . SD Investments Announces Acquisition of Great St. James and Little St. James Islands in the United States Virgin Islands . 2023-05-06 . www.prnewswire.com . en . 2023-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230506022847/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sd-investments-announces-acquisition-of-great-st-james-and-little-st-james-islands-in-the-united-states-virgin-islands-301815032.html . live .
- News: Jeffrey Epstein's bizarre blue-striped building on private island raised alarm. Rich Schapiro. NBC News. August 1, 2019. August 2, 2019. August 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190801234522/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-s-bizarre-blue-striped-building-private-island-raised-n1037511. live.
- Web site: Galina. Espinoza. A Lift Out of Life. People. April 9, 2001. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813052431/https://people.com/archive/a-lift-out-of-life-vol-55-no-14/. live.
- Web site: Huge cache of records details how Jeffrey Epstein and madam lured girls into depraved world . Brown . Julie K. . Blaskey . Sarah . 9 August 2019 . . 28 July 2020 . Virginia Roberts, now Giuffre, says she was 16 and working as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort when she was approached by Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s associate, about becoming a masseuse for Epstein. . 16 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200116222530/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article233704797.html . live .
- Web site: The one weird court case linking Trump, Bill Clinton, and a billionaire pedophile. Josh. Gerstein. POLITICO. 2019-07-08. 2021-03-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20210310134603/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/04/jeffrey-epstein-trump-lawsuit-sex-trafficking-237983. live.
- Web site: Plenty Of Innuendo, But No Hard Evidence Of New Clinton Sex Scandal. BuzzFeed News. January 28, 2015. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190708193406/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/clinton-epstein-innuendo. live.
- Web site: Kate. Sullivan. Bill Clinton 'knows nothing' about Epstein's 'terrible crimes,' spokesman says. CNN. July 8, 2019. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813051938/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/politics/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein/index.html. live.
- News: 2022-03-24 . Jeffrey Epstein's private islands put up for sale for $125m . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-03-25 . 2022-03-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220324202459/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60856925 . live .
- Web site: Mystery surrounds Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the Caribbean. Metcalf. Jonathan Levin, Greg Farrell, Tom. Los Angeles Times. 12 July 2019. 2019-07-13. 2019-07-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20190713012944/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jeffrey-epstein-private-island-20190712-story.html. live.
- Web site: Everything We Know About Jeffrey Epstein's Private 'Pedophile Island'. Stieb. Matt. 2019-07-10. Intelligencer. en. 2019-07-13. 2019-09-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20190903073646/http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/everything-we-know-about-jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands.html. live.
- Web site: Velsey . Kim . Who Wants to Vacation on Epstein Island? . curbed.com . Curbed . 2 September 2023 . en-us . 8 May 2023 . 2 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230902000557/https://www.curbed.com/2023/05/jeffrey-epstein-little-st-james-resort.html . live .
- Web site: The Salacious Ammo Even Donald Trump Won't Use in a Fight Against Hillary Clinton – VICE News . News.vice.com . 2019-07-09 . 2019-07-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190716014857/https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/j59vm8/the-salacious-ammo-even-donald-trump-wont-use-in-a-fight-against-hillary-clinton-bill-clinton . live .
- News: Prince Andrew sex allegations: Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein 'had 21. January 6, 2015. The Independent. July 9, 2019. June 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200601001204/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/prince-andrew-sex-allegations-billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-had-21-phone-numbers-for-bill-clinton-9959491.html. live.
- Web site: Stephen Hawking joined Jeffrey Epstein private island soiree. Will. Pavia. January 9, 2015. The Australian.
- Web site: Jeffrey Epstein's donations to young pupils prompts US Virgin Islands review. Jon. Swaine. January 13, 2015. www.theguardian.com. July 8, 2019. November 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161110194357/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/13/jeffrey-epstein-donations-us-virgin-islands-review. live.
- News: Stephen Hawking pictured on Jeffrey Epstein's 'Island of Sin'. The Daily Telegraph. January 12, 2015. April 5, 2018. April 10, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410202110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking/11340494/Stephen-Hawking-pictured-on-Jeffrey-Epsteins-Island-of-Sin.html. live.
- News: "The girls were just so young": The horrors of Jeffrey Epstein's private island. Vanity Fair. July 20, 2019. August 13, 2019. August 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190811052047/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/horrors-of-jeffrey-epstein-private-island. live.
- News: FBI searches Jeffrey Epstein's home in Virgin Islands. CNBC. August 12, 2019. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813054050/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/fbi-searches-jeffrey-epsteins-home-in-virgin-islands-nbc-news.html. live.
- Web site: FBI agents swarm Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island. NBC News. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. August 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190813001044/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-agents-swarm-jeffrey-epstein-s-private-caribbean-island-n1041596. live.