Jeffrey Epstein led an active social life. In 1998, he purchased Little Saint James Island in the Caribbean, which became the venue for his lavish parties featuring celebrities.
At these private events, billionaires, politicians, bankers, and representatives of European royal families mingled with celebrities.
In our material, we explore why the “Epstein files” interest the entire world, why the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, does not like him, and which Kyrgyz politicians are mentioned in the documents of this scandalous financier. Details can be found in 24.kg.
Who is Mr. Epstein?
Jeffrey Edward Epstein was born in 1953 into a working-class family in a suburb of New York City. From 1974 to 1976, he taught mathematics and physics at the private Dalton School in Manhattan, educating high school students.
Despite lacking experience in the financial sector, Epstein caught the attention of the father of one of his students, a prominent banker, which drastically changed his life.
In 1976, he began working as a clerk at the investment bank Bear Stearns, where he dealt with options and consulted on complex financial strategies, including tax planning for wealthy clients.
Epstein rapidly climbed the career ladder and by 1980 had become a limited partner at the bank. Soon after, he left Bear Stearns and launched his own ventures.
In 1981, he founded the consulting firm International Assets Group, and in 1988, he established the investment advisory firm J. Epstein & Co (later renamed The Financial Trust Company), which managed the assets of wealthy clients.
Reports of Epstein's wealth vary. Different sources indicate that by the early 2000s, he owned significant assets, including real estate and a private jet. In 2008, his net worth was estimated at around $500 million, with an annual income of approximately $10 million.
According to Forbes, Epstein was listed among billionaires; however, many of his assets were registered offshore, complicating accurate assessments.
Socialite, friend of the president, and corrupter of minors
While working on Wall Street and at his company, Jeffrey Epstein made connections with many influential people. Among his close friends was former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who even accompanied Epstein on a trip to Africa in 2002. His name is also linked to accusations of sexual contacts with Epstein's victims, including Prince Andrew. Epstein was known to Leslie Wexner, the owner of Victoria’s Secret, as one of the most influential clients.
However, Epstein's true notoriety was not tied to his financial skills. For many years, he wove a web of sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors. By inviting girls to his island, he organized orgies.
Many victims openly recounted that Epstein was not only a serial corrupter but also effectively a pimp, directing girls to “entertain” his friends and even moving them between his residences. His private jet regularly flew between New York, Palm Beach, and Little Saint James Island.
Photo from the internet. Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein
In 2005, Epstein became the subject of an investigation when he was suspected of corrupting minors. Three years later, in 2008, he pleaded guilty to involving 14- and 15-year-old girls in prostitution and was arrested, spending about a year in jail.
With the help of his connections to influential people, Jeffrey Epstein struck a deal with the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Florida and effectively avoided serious punishment that could have amounted to decades in prison.
The court allowed him to leave jail six days a week for 12 hours for “office work,” enabling him to lead a nearly normal life.
Victims were not notified of the leniency.
Federal charges related to human trafficking, including minors, were brought against Epstein only in July 2019.
In an official press release from the Department of Justice, it was stated that “the charges relate to a series of crimes from 2002 to 2005, when Epstein allegedly organized and used a network of minors for sexual purposes both in New York and Florida.”
The billionaire was arrested in New York, and on August 10, 2019, at the age of 66, he died in prison. The official version states that he committed suicide.
How Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump fell out
Trump and Epstein first met in the 1980s. According to a report by The New York Times, Donald Trump's name appears more than 38,000 times in documents related to Epstein.
Trump and Epstein often appeared together at social events, and the financier even offered him his private jet for travel.
As journalists from Meduza discovered, both donated money to Bill Clinton's campaign in the early 1990s. Epstein frequently met with Clinton, and Trump also attended parties with them.
The falling out between Trump and Epstein occurred in 2004, reportedly because Epstein used his Mar-a-Lago club to “recruit” girls. According to another version, the conflict was due to business matters.
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In the “Epstein files,” there are mentions of alleged advances by Trump towards “Epstein's girls,” but no evidence of his criminal activity has been presented.
After the scandal broke, Trump stated that he had not communicated with Epstein for 15 years and that he did not know him better than others, emphasizing that he had never been involved in his “dirty dealings.”
Thus, the motives for the conflict between them lie in personal disagreements, reputational damage, and the desire to distance themselves from the scandal.
The royal entourage and the billionaires of the planet
The “Epstein files” contain over a thousand mentions of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The documents are full of correspondence between her and Epstein from 2011 to 2014.
The princess described Epstein as “charming” and “kind-hearted.” In one message, she noted that when she “Googled” his name, she found that “it doesn’t look very good,” alluding to the sex trafficking scandal.
In another message, she asked Epstein whether it was appropriate to offer her 15-year-old son a screensaver featuring naked women.
The Crown Princess of Norway later admitted that she was wrong to communicate with Epstein and expressed regret.
The fact that the princess's name is mentioned in the “Epstein files” came as a surprise not only to the royal family but also caused a wide resonance in Norway.
Epstein's connection with Prince Andrew (the Duke of York), who had already been embroiled in scandals related to corruption and sexual harassment, is also mentioned. Ultimately, the prince was forced to renounce his public duties and titles.
Photo from the internet. Prince Andrew and the King of the United Kingdom
There is no direct evidence of Epstein's connections with billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and others, although they attended his events.
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However, Bill Gates maintained close ties with Epstein even after the first case against him in 2009. It is believed that this friendship may have been one of the reasons for Gates's divorce from his wife Melinda. Epstein's materials include a letter to Gates in which he mentions helping with treatment for sexually transmitted diseases after “intimate encounters with Russian girls.” Gates dismissed this letter and stated that he regretted meeting Epstein.
As for Elon Musk, he has repeatedly claimed that he did not accept Epstein's invitations to his parties. However, the “Epstein files” contain a letter from 2012 in which Musk expresses a desire to attend the “party of the century.”
Russian oligarchs also in the mix
Russian media report mentions of dozens of cities in the country in the published materials.
According to RBC, the documents contain information about Russian businessmen such as Vladislav Doronin, founder of Capital Group, and millionaire Umar Dzhabrailov.
In both cases, the visits of Epstein or his associates to Russia and their business connections are discussed.
According to ABC News, Meduza reports that Epstein visited Russia several times in the 2000s, including with Bill Clinton, and possibly attended the 2018 World Cup.
The international agency Reuters mentions that the materials reference Russia and Russian women in the context of Epstein's correspondence and his attempts to present models from Samara and St. Petersburg to Western celebrities.
In particular, there is mention of an incident where Epstein arranged a meeting between Prince Andrew and a 26-year-old Russian woman.
However, as Meduza clarifies, the most attention was drawn to Epstein's correspondence with Maria Drokova, a former activist of the pro-Kremlin youth movement “Nashi.” The correspondence began in 2017, shortly after her move to the U.S. Drokova introduced herself as a public relations specialist and offered Epstein a plan to improve his reputation, including establishing an award for combating harassment. In June 2019, shortly before Epstein's arrest, she showed him her photos, and he asked her to send “nudes,” to which she replied that she would do so “next time.”
To local news
The “Epstein files” also mention Kyrgyz politicians such as Omurbek Tekebayev, former president Almazbek Atambayev, Edil Baisalov, deputy head of the cabinet, and Baktybek Beshimov, former head of the SDPK parliamentary faction from 2007 to 2009. The mentions relate to events in 2010 and 2017. For example, Omurbek Tekebayev is mentioned in the context of rallies in Bishkek in his support in early 2017 when he was detained at Manas Airport upon returning from Vienna. The document also states that “protests increase the risk of political instability in a country where the previous government was overthrown in 2010.” The presidential elections, in which Atambayev was not eligible to participate, were supposed to take place on November 19. However, the elections were held on October 15, 2017, raising questions about the date of November 19.
Mentions of Beshimov and Baisalov are presented briefly: “Baktybek Beshimov was appointed head of the diplomatic mission of the interim government in Washington. Edil Baisalov informed journalists about these appointments.”
It should be noted that access to confidential correspondence is blocked, and details are unknown.
There is also an indirect mention of the withdrawal of the Manas transit transport center from Kyrgyzstan in 2014.
Risks and consequences. Why this matters
The story of Jeffrey Epstein is not just a scandal among American elites; it is a vivid testament to how power, money, and connections can provide immunity to those who shape global politics and economics. For Kyrgyzstan, this case holds particular significance.
In countries with young and vulnerable statehood, the operation of a system of double standards is felt acutely. While ordinary citizens bear responsibility for the slightest offenses, representatives of both national and international elites have long avoided real punishment.
The Epstein case confirms that the principle of impunity knows no borders and is applied both in Washington or London and in post-Soviet countries.
It is noteworthy that many participants in this story have long positioned themselves as defenders of “democratic values,” fighters for human rights and the rule of law. Today, these values are used to cover personal connections and attempts to evade responsibility. For Kyrgyz society, which has repeatedly faced the hypocrisy of both external and internal elites, this situation seems familiar.
It is also important to note that the Jeffrey Epstein case undermines trust not only in individual politicians but also in institutions of power as a whole. When investigations slow down and defendants evade trial, a logical question arises: “For whom does the law exist?”
In Kyrgyzstan, where the demand for justice often leads to political crises, this question resonates particularly sharply.
The scandal surrounding Epstein could serve as the beginning of a global anti-elite movement aimed at closed circles of influence and political irresponsibility. This is a signal not only about problems abroad but also about risks within Kyrgyzstan: if society stops believing in equality before the law, protest becomes inevitable, and political stability illusory.
The events surrounding Jeffrey Epstein serve as a warning. Not about morality, but about power. And about what happens in a system where elites live by one set of rules, and citizens by another.
