He was born into a middle-class family in Brooklyn and was very good at mathematics.
Because of this, he became a math teacher in the 1970s, even without a formal teaching degree.
His life changed when he met Alan Greenberg, the CEO of Bear Stearns.
Epstein joined the company in a junior role and later moved into options trading.
He appeared confident and fast in financial environments, which helped him enter wealthy and powerful circles.
Despite his quick rise, he was later fired from Bear Stearns for unclear reasons.
After leaving, Epstein started his own financial consulting business.
He claimed to manage money and recover complex assets for ultra-rich clients.
Very few people understood how his business actually worked, but his name spread by word of mouth among billionaires.
One of his early partners was Steven Hoffenberg, who was later convicted for running a massive Ponzi scheme.
Epstein worked closely with him but was never charged, which raised many questions.
Epstein’s influence grew even more after he became close to Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of Victoria’s Secret.
Wexner gave Epstein power of attorney over his finances — a level of trust that is extremely rare.
Behind the scenes, serious crimes were taking place.
According to court records and victims, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell ran a long-term sex-trafficking operation involving underage girls.
Maxwell was later convicted in federal court for her role.
Epstein was first investigated in the mid-2000s and arrested in 2005.
In 2008, he received a very controversial plea deal that allowed him to avoid federal charges.
This deal is now seen as a major failure of justice.
In 2019, new victims came forward and Epstein was arrested again on federal sex-trafficking charges.
He was denied bail and held in a New York jail, where he died on August 10, 2019.
His death was officially ruled a suicide, but many people still question it.
After his death, courts began releasing documents known as the Epstein files.
These files include testimonies and names linked to his network.
Many people were named, but few were charged, which remains a major controversy.
The Epstein case shows how power and money can weaken justice, and why transparency and accountability still matter.
