Recently released documents by a US congressional committee from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein has once again thrust the late financier’s disturbing legacy into the spotlight.
How dangerous was he to anything in skirt?
As seen in The BBC, the papers, which range from Epstein’s last will and testament to pages from his notorious address book, also include a bizarre 238-page “birthday book” gifted to him in 2003 – three years before his crimes became public. Within its pages lie crude sketches, lewd jokes, and alleged messages from friends and acquaintances, including a purported note from Donald Trump.
Trump, now president, has categorically dismissed the birthday letter as a fake, insisting the signature is not his. His legal team has gone further, filing a $10bn lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the letter, and targeting the paper’s journalists, executives and Rupert Murdoch himself.
The White House has also denied Trump had any connection to a second page in the scrapbook that depicts a giant cheque jokingly framed as a payment from him to Epstein for a woman. Officials say it is “absolutely not” his signature, branding the entire inclusion as a fabrication.
Beyond the political furore, the scrapbook itself paints a picture of Epstein’s highly sexualised life, filled with crude messages, explicit photos, and caricatures mocking his appetite for young women. One page shows a cartoon of Epstein handing balloons to children in 1983, paired with a drawing two decades later of scantily clad women massaging him. Elsewhere, an author admitted he “agonised” over what to write before settling on obscene animal scenes, reasoning they were more fitting than words.
The materials also deepen questions about Epstein’s long association with Ghislaine Maxwell. While Maxwell testified that she met Epstein in adulthood, the book suggests earlier ties. A letter from businessman Elliot Wolk recalls Epstein’s connection to her father, Robert Maxwell, in the 1970s, even hinting at an encounter with the “teenage daughter.”
Another friend referenced a post-college European trip that ended with Epstein returning from London with a “beautiful British babe” – possibly Maxwell. These notes complicate the timeline of their relationship and challenge Maxwell’s account during her own trial.
Epstein’s mysterious fortune remains equally shrouded. Notes from wealthy clients such as Les Wexner and Leon Black are included in the birthday collection, yet neither sheds light on how Epstein amassed his staggering wealth. Wexner, who doodled a crude sketch of a woman’s chest, has previously claimed ignorance of Epstein’s criminal behaviour and cut ties after accusing him of misappropriating vast sums. Black wrote about Epstein’s “schemes and plans” in tax strategy, admitting later to having paid him for financial advice. Still, the true origins of Epstein’s empire remain elusive.
The address book adds further intrigue, filled with names from politics, business, royalty, science, and entertainment. Former President Bill Clinton, Lord Mandelson, and Alan Dershowitz are among those listed. Clinton’s office declined to comment on the new disclosures, while Mandelson’s spokesperson said he regrets ever being introduced to Epstein. Dershowitz, who would later defend Epstein in court, said he could not recall writing the note included in the scrapbook and denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes at the time.
Perhaps most troubling are the glimpses into the lives of women around Epstein, some of whom were girlfriends, assistants or employees – and in many cases, also victims. One unnamed woman wrote that before Epstein she was a 22-year-old divorced hostess, but after meeting him she found herself travelling the globe, meeting presidents and royals, and even sitting “on the Queen of England’s throne.” Her account, filed under “Assistants,” underscores how Epstein’s reach relied on enablers who may also have been trapped in his manipulative orbit.
According to The BBC, these documents do not offer closure but instead highlight the contradictions, denials, and unanswered questions that still swirl around Epstein’s shadowy life. They reveal a man whose influence was sustained by wealth, secrecy, and proximity to power, yet whose crimes were known to some long before they became public.
