{{Short description|Private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands}} {{Redirect|Epstein Island|the nearby island also formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein|Great Saint James}} {{for|the early Christian figure sometimes called Saint James the Little|James the Less}} {{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox islands | name = Little Saint James | nickname = Epstein Island | image_name = Little St James Island (9165947585).jpg | pushpin_map = USA Virgin Islands#Caribbean | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Caribbean | coordinates = {{coord|18|18|0|N|64|49|31|W|display=it}} | location = Caribbean Sea | island_type = Volcanic | archipelago = Virgin Islands archipelago | country = United States | country_admin_divisions_title = Territory | country_admin_divisions = United States Virgin Islands | country_area_km2 = 0.28-0.32 }}
'''Little Saint James''', infamously nicknamed '''Epstein Island''', is a small private island in the United States Virgin Islands southeast of Saint Thomas. It was owned by American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 1998 until his death in 2019.<ref name="vanity fair"/><ref name="ny times"/>
The island's reputation became controversial in 2015,<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Paul |last2=Swaine |first2=Jon |last3=Booth |first3=Robert |date=2015-01-22 |title=Prince Andrew asked to respond under oath about claims of sex with 17-year-old girl |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/21/woman-affidavit-prince-andrew |access-date=2026-03-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |quote=In her affidavit, Giuffre stated: “The third time I had sex with Andy was in an orgy on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands. I was around 18 at the time. Epstein, Andy, approximately eight other young girls, and I had sex together. The other girls all seemed and appeared to be under the age of 18 and didn’t really speak English.”}}</ref> when Virginia Giuffre alleged in a lawsuit that in the early 2000s, when she was 18, she participated in an orgy with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and eight girls who "appeared to be under the age of 18" and did not speak English.<ref name=":3" />
== Geography == {{Main|Geography of the United States Virgin Islands}}
Little Saint James is a small island (or islet)<ref>{{cite web |title=Lesser Antilles : Barbados to the Virgin Islands |url=https://archive.org/details/lesserantillesba0000unse/page/228/mode/2up?q=%22Little+St+James%22 |publisher=Cambridgeshire, England : Imray, Norie & Wilson Ltd. |access-date=January 5, 2024 |date=1991}}</ref> with an area of {{convert|70|to|78|acre|ha|abbr=out}}. It is part of the United States Virgin Islands,<ref name="vanity fair">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303|title=The Talented Mr. Epstein|last=Ward|first=Vicky|date=June 27, 2011|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=June 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612144453/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303|url-status=live}}</ref> southeast of neighboring Great Saint James, both off the southern coast of the larger St. Thomas island<ref name="miami herald" /><ref name="vox">{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/12/3/18116351/jeffrey-epstein-indictment-arrested-trump-clinton-acosta|title=Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who is friends with Donald Trump and Bill Clinton explained|first=Jane|last=Coaston|date=December 3, 2018|website=Vox|access-date=July 9, 2019|archive-date=August 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824222042/https://www.vox.com/2018/12/3/18116351/jeffrey-epstein-indictment-arrested-trump-clinton-acosta|url-status=live}}</ref> and belonging to the subdistrict East End, St. Thomas. The Virgin Islands are mountain peaks rising from the Caribbean ocean floor.<ref name="vinow1">{{cite web |url=http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/geography/ |title=VInow: Virgin Islands Geography |access-date=January 5, 2024|quote=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. |publisher=vinow.com }}</ref> 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.<ref name="USVI weather">{{cite web |title=Weather |url=https://www.nps.gov/viis/learn/nature/weather.htm |publisher=U.S. National Park Service |access-date=January 5, 2024 |date=September 8, 2022 |quote=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.}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" widths="240" perrow="2"> File:U.S. Virgin Islands Subdivisions.svg|Little Saint James is the smaller of the two islands in the southeast of nr. 2 of Saint Thomas. File:Little Saint James.png|A map of Little Saint James </gallery>
== History == Little St. James was part of the Danish West Indies. In 1917, Denmark sold them to the United States. Little St. James was included as one of the "adjacent islands" in the deal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information |first=Bureau of Public Affairs |date=2008-07-21 |title=Purchase of the United States Virgin Islands, 1917 |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwi/107293.htm |access-date=2026-01-21 |website=2001-2009.state.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Documents - Office of the Historian |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1917/d881 |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=history.state.gov}}</ref>
=== Epstein's ownership === thumb|right|Little Saint James Island in the Virgin Islands, while owned by Jeffrey Epstein in June 2013Little St. James is a private island. In 1997, it was owned by venture capitalist Arch Cummin and was for sale for $10.5 million.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB861139935702093000|title=Private Properties|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=April 18, 1997|access-date=August 13, 2019|archive-date=August 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813052435/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB861139935702093000|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 1998, a company called L.S.J. LLC purchased it for $7.95 million. Documents show that Jeffrey Epstein was the sole member of L.S.J.<ref name="APnews">{{cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/cd794044e8be4e619093582d6d3355d2|title=Whispers, suspicion about Epstein on Caribbean island|via=Associated Press|date=July 11, 2019|access-date=August 13, 2019|archive-date=August 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813012919/https://www.apnews.com/cd794044e8be4e619093582d6d3355d2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nymag">{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/everything-we-know-about-jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands.html|title=Everything We Know About Jeffrey Epstein's Private 'Pedophile Island'|last=Stieb|first=Matt|date=July 10, 2019|website=Intelligencer|access-date=July 13, 2019|archive-date=September 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903073646/http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/everything-we-know-about-jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bloomberg/jzbmb3p1">{{cite news |last1=Metcalf |first1=Tom |title=The Epstein Tapes: Unearthed Recordings From His Private Island |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-14/the-epstein-tapes-unearthed-recordings-from-his-private-island-jzbmb3p1 |access-date=July 17, 2025 |work=Bloomberg |date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260309030408/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-14/the-epstein-tapes-unearthed-recordings-from-his-private-island-jzbmb3p1|archive-date=9 March 2026|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news |last=Levin |first=Jonathan |last2=Farrell |first2=Greg |last3=Metcalf |first3=Tom |date=July 12, 2019 |title=The Mystery Surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's Private Island |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-12/jeffrey-epstein-s-private-island-in-the-caribbean-has-gone-quiet |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=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 |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |access-date=July 26, 2019 |work=Bloomberg}}</ref> In 2019, the island was valued at $63,874,223.<ref>{{cite news |author=Voytko |first=Lisette |date=July 16, 2019 |title=Court Documents Confirm Jeffrey Epstein Is Nowhere Near A Billionaire |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/07/16/court-documents-confirm-jeffrey-epstein-is-nowhere-near-a-billionaire/#99ac0ce4cdfb |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=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 |archive-date=August 12, 2019 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |work=Forbes}}</ref> Little St. James was Epstein's primary residence,<ref name="miami herald">{{cite web|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html|title=Jeffrey Epstein arrested on sex trafficking charges|website=Miami Herald|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=July 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707032426/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html|url-status=live|last=Brown|first=Julie K.|date=July 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="daily beast">{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaire-pedophile-jeffrey-epstein-funded-womens-empowerment-entrepreneur-lana-pozhidaeva|title=Notorious Billionaire Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein Funded This 'Women's Empowerment' Advocate|last1=Briquelet|first1=Kate|last2=Cartwright|first2=Lachlan|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=March 12, 2019|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=July 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708210806/https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaire-pedophile-jeffrey-epstein-funded-womens-empowerment-entrepreneur-lana-pozhidaeva|url-status=live}}</ref> and he called the island "Little St. Jeff".<ref name="vanity fair" /><ref name="ny times">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/01epstein.html|title=Financier Starts Sentence in Prostitution Case|first=Landon Jr.|last=Thomas|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 1, 2008|access-date=July 8, 2019|archive-date=July 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708214622/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/01epstein.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The main house on the island was renovated by Edward Tuttle, a designer of the Aman Resorts.<ref name="vanity fair" />
Before Epstein bought the Island, several buildings were already present, including the main house, the guest house, oval-shaped pool, and three cabanas. They were seen in the booklet promoting the island for sale and appeared in the March 1996 edition of ''House & Garden'' magazine and "The Villa Report".<ref>{{Cite web|title=CARIBBEAN RENTALS, USVI, LITTLE ST. JAMES|url=http://www.naplesnet.com/turks/crusviLstJames.html|website=www.naplesnet.com|access-date=2026-01-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990203192301/http://www.naplesnet.com/turks/crusviLstJames.html|archive-date=1999-02-03}}</ref> In 2005, Epstein hired the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to install a combination power and fiber optic cable between St. Thomas and Little St. James, giving the island dedicated data and electric connections, which eliminated the need for generators.<ref name="mh19q">{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Kevin G. |last2=Brown |first2=Julie K. |name-list-style= |date=October 1, 2019 |title=For Jeffrey Epstein, one island hideaway wasn't enough. How he stealthily acquired a second |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article235224877.html |newspaper=Miami Herald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Suzanne |date=July 22, 2019 |title=Contractor recalls 6 years on Epstein's island |url=https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/contractor-recalls-6-years-on-epstein-s-island/article_33fd07f9-f409-5b56-81e0-2d53394586dc.html |website=The Virgin Islands Daily News}}</ref>
In 2008, Epstein's estate on Little St. James had 70 staff.<ref name="nymag" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9C04EEDF133DF932A35754C0A96E9C8B63.html|title=INSIDE THE TIMES: July 1, 2008|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=December 29, 2021|archive-date=December 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229210318/https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9C04EEDF133DF932A35754C0A96E9C8B63.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to a former staffer, Epstein insisted on discretion and confidentiality from his employees.<ref name="bloomberg" /> In 2016, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources received complaints about Epstein, who had begun to clear land without a permit.<ref name="mh19q" />
== Visitors during Epstein's ownership == thumb|An aerial view showing Little Saint James in the upper right
Victoria's Secret models were among the guests a former Epstein employee saw at his Little St. James residence, and billionaire Les Wexner visited the island at least once.<ref name="bloomberg" /> Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor paid at least one visit aboard Epstein's private jet to the island; former staff said he visited Little St. James several times.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news |date=January 12, 2015 |title=Stephen Hawking pictured on Jeffrey Epstein's 'Island of Sin' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking/11340494/Stephen-Hawking-pictured-on-Jeffrey-Epsteins-Island-of-Sin.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=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 |archive-date=April 10, 2018 |access-date=April 5, 2018 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> Peter Mandelson spent a week on the island in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rayner |first1=Gordon |title=I’m in the Mandelson photo – he spent a week on Epstein’s island |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/09/woman-mandelson-photo-spent-two-days-epstein-island/ |access-date=14 February 2026|date=3 September 2025|url-status=live|last2=Mendick|first2=Robert|url-access=subscription|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>
Sergey Brin and his then fiancée, Anne Wojcicki, visited the island in 2007.<ref name="NYT-names">{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=January 31, 2026 |title=New Epstein Files Name Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Other Powerful Men |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/us/epstein-trump-gates-musk-tisch-andrew.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=January 31, 2026 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In December 2012, Howard Lutnick, his wife and their children visited the island, where they had lunch with Epstein.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goodwin |first=Grace Eliza |date=30 January 2026 |title=US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick planned visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, emails show |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmlr0nk8y9o |access-date=3 February 2026 |work=BBC News |publisher=}}</ref> Reid Hoffman and Joi Ito visited the island in November 2014, according to Epstein's records.<ref name="ABC-Hoffman2">{{Cite news |last=Rubin |first=Olivia |last2=Hill |first2=James |date=November 19, 2025 |title=LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman's ties to Jeffrey Epstein face Trump-ordered investigation |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/linkedin-founder-reid-hoffmans-ties-jeffrey-epstein-face/story?id=127651719 |access-date=February 1, 2026 |work=ABC News}}</ref> Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak visited the island multiple times from 2014 to 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hale |first1=Erin |last2=Power |first2=John |date=December 9, 2025 |title=Israel's ex-PM Ehud Barak and Epstein had close relationship, emails reveal |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/9/israels-ex-pm-ehud-barak-and-jeffrey-epstein-had-close-relationship-emails-reveal |access-date=February 2, 2026 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Jes Staley, the former head of Barclays, visited the island in 2015.<ref name="bbc22js">{{Cite news |last=Jordan |first=Dearbail |date=March 24, 2022 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's private islands put up for sale for $125m |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60856925 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324202459/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60856925 |archive-date=March 24, 2022 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |work=BBC News}}</ref> In August 2025, the Department of Justice released a transcript of an interview between Maxwell and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during which Maxwell said Naomi Campbell had probably visited Little Saint James at some point.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Egwuonwu |first1=Nnamdi |title=Justice Department releases Ghislaine Maxwell interview transcript and audio file |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-justice-department-releases-transcript-ghislaine-maxwell-rcna226675 |work=NBC News |date=22 August 2025}}</ref>
In 2015, Epstein emailed friends of his alleged victim Virginia Giuffre, asking them to disprove supposed allegations by Giuffre that physicist Stephen Hawking participated in an "underage orgy" in the Virgin Islands. Epstein said he could "issue a reward” to them if they could "prove her allegations are false". The email implies it was written in response to a "new version" of the claim about Hawking. Neither Giuffre nor anyone else has ever publicly accused Hawking of sexual misconduct.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bekiempis |first=Victoria |date=2024-01-04 |title=Jeffrey Epstein: documents linking associates to sex offender unsealed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/03/jeffrey-epstein-list-names-released |access-date=February 1, 2026 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Booth |first=Robert |date=January 5, 2024 |title=Prince Andrew, Clinton, Hawking: what do the Epstein documents say about key people? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/05/prince-andrew-clinton-hawking-what-do-the-epstein-documents-say-about-key-people |access-date=February 6, 2026 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodwin |first=Grace Eliza |date=January 4, 2024 |title=What the unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents say — and don't say — about Stephen Hawking |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-hawking-jeffrey-epstein-documents-unsealed-2024-1 |access-date=February 6, 2026 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Allegations under Epstein's ownership == In a 2014 affidavit, Giuffre alleged that in the early 2000s, as an 18-year-old, she had sex with Epstein and then-Prince Andrew in an orgy, with eight other girls who "appeared to be under the age of 18" and did not speak English.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="telegraph" /><ref name="independent 3">{{cite news |last=Buncombe |first=Andrew |date=January 6, 2015 |title=Prince Andrew sex allegations: Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein 'had 21 |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/prince-andrew-sex-allegations-billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-had-21-phone-numbers-for-bill-clinton-9959491.html |url-status=live |archive-url=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 |archive-date=June 1, 2020 |access-date=July 9, 2019 |website=The Independent}}</ref> Buckingham Palace denied the allegation.<ref name="the australian">{{cite web |last=Pavia |first=Will |date=January 9, 2015 |title=Stephen Hawking joined Jeffrey Epstein private island soiree |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/stephen-hawking-joined-jeffrey-epstein-private-island-soiree/news-story/c4a3401c59b381b757ccfc6683ca0695 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The Australian}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite news |last=Swaine |first=Jon |date=January 13, 2015 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's donations to young pupils prompts US Virgin Islands review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/13/jeffrey-epstein-donations-us-virgin-islands-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110194357/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/13/jeffrey-epstein-donations-us-virgin-islands-review |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |access-date=July 8, 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian |via=}}</ref> A lawyer for Epstein called Giuffre's allegations of orgies "old and discredited".<ref name="telegraph" /> According to a 2011 interview with the FBI, Giuffre "recalled meeting Prince Andrew" on the island, but was "using Xanax heavily at the time, and her recollection was not clear. She remembered there were many models on the island that did not speak English along with a modeling person who had an unknown accent".<ref name=":6">[https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00269896.pdf Giuffre's 2011 FBI interview] has been cited by ''[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-us-law-enforcement The Guardian],'' confirming it as her report. Page 10.</ref>
Giuffre also made controversial allegations that Bill Clinton and Al Gore had visited the island.<ref name="politico">{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/04/jeffrey-epstein-trump-lawsuit-sex-trafficking-237983 |title=The one weird court case linking Trump, Bill Clinton, and a billionaire pedophile |first=Josh |last=Gerstein |website=POLITICO |date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=July 8, 2019 |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310134603/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/04/jeffrey-epstein-trump-lawsuit-sex-trafficking-237983 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Orecchio-Egresitz |first=Haven |title=Alan Dershowitz calls Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre a 'serial liar' while once again denying he ever had sex with her |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/alan-dershowitz-calls-jeffrey-epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffre-liar-denial-2020-7 |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=James |date=18 November 2025 |title=How well did Bill Clinton know Jeffrey Epstein? |url=https://abcnews.com/Politics/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein/story?id=127629827 |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gregorian |first1=Dareh |last2=Lebowitz |first2=Megan |last3=Glisson |first3=Fiona |last4=Shabad |first4=Rebecca |date=November 12, 2025 |title=Jeffrey Epstein emails: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and more |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/epstein-emails-trump-bill-clinton-prince-andrew-what-documents-say-rcna243526 |work=NBC News |publisher=}}</ref> In 2011, she told ''Daily Mail'' reporter Sharon Churcher that Ghislaine Maxwell "went to pick up Bill in a huge black helicopter that Jeffrey had bought her" and "I used to get frightened flying with her but Bill had the Secret Service with him and I remember him talking about what a good job she did".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shamsian |first=Kelsey Vlamis, Lloyd Lee, Jacob |title=Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents shed more light on victim's reported meetings with Bill Clinton |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-giuffre-denied-flying-with-clinton-to-epsteins-island-deposition-2024-1 |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> In a declassified 2011 email, Epstein wrote: "[T]hese stories are complete an[d] utter fantasy, I don't know and have never met Al gore, Clinton was never on the island".<ref>{{cite news |last=Suter |first=Tara |date=November 13, 2025 |title=Epstein in newly released email said Bill Clinton was never "on the island" |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5603820-epstein-denies-clinton-island-visit-emails/ |accessdate=February 1, 2026 |work=The Hill |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2025/nov/13/utter-fantasy-epstein-says-clinton-never-went-to-private-island-edited/|title=Brett|last=Barrouque|publisher=Arkansas Democratic Gazette|date=November 13, 2025|accessdate=February 1, 2026}}</ref> Alan Dershowitz argued Giuffre's story was improbable, as the Secret Service would not allow Maxwell, "then a novice helicopter pilot", to fly a former president.<ref>{{Cite web |last=YANIV |first=OREN |date=2015-02-03 |title=Lawyer blasts Virginia Roberts' claim that she saw Bill Clinton on Jeffrey Epstein's private island |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2015/02/03/lawyer-blasts-virginia-roberts-claim-that-she-saw-bill-clinton-on-jeffrey-epsteins-private-island/ |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dershowitz |first=Alan |date=27 July 2019 |title=Open Letter to The New Yorker Exposes False Allegations |url=https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14605/open-letter-to-the-new-yorker-exposes-false |work=Gatestone Institute}}</ref> A 2017 Freedom of Information Act request for Secret Service records found no evidence that Clinton had visited Little St. James.<ref name="politico" /> Epstein's flight logs showed no record of Clinton traveling to or near the island, although they recorded his presence on flights, all during 2002–2003, to many other destinations.<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{cite web |last=Bensinger |first=Ken |date=January 28, 2015 |title=Plenty Of Innuendo, But No Hard Evidence Of New Clinton Sex Scandal |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/clinton-epstein-innuendo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708193406/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/clinton-epstein-innuendo |archive-date=July 8, 2019 |quote= ...according to the logs, he [Clinton] never flew with his wealthy friend anywhere near the U.S. Virgin Islands....the logs show all of Clinton's flights came in 2002 and 2003|access-date=July 8, 2019 |website=BuzzFeed News}}</ref> A spokesperson for Clinton has denied he ever visited the island.<ref name="APnews" /><ref>{{cite web|first=Kate|last=Sullivan|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/politics/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein/index.html|title=Bill Clinton 'knows nothing' about Epstein's 'terrible crimes,' spokesman says|website=CNN|date=July 8, 2019|access-date=August 13, 2019|archive-date=August 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813051938/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/politics/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In a 2016 deposition, Sarah Ransome said she visited Little Saint James with Epstein in 2007,<ref name=":4" /> when she was 22.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |last=Bruck|first=Connie|date=2019-07-29|title=Alan Dershowitz, Devil's Advocate|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/05/alan-dershowitz-devils-advocate|access-date=2026-02-24|work=The New Yorker|language=en-US|issn=0028-792X}}</ref> Ransome said she had an argument with Epstein and Maxwell about her weight, causing her to attempt to swim off the island, before Epstein assembled a search party to bring her back.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2022-12-16 |title=Jeffrey Epstein Victim,22, Put on Lithium, Given Anti-Aging Masks, Told to Weigh Under 115lbs. |url=https://www.insideedition.com/Jeffrey-Epstein-Victim-Lithium-psychiatrist-Weight |access-date=2026-03-06 |website=Inside Edition |language=en-US}}</ref> In a 2021 interview with ''NPR'', she said her attempt to swim off the island was "after I'd been raped three times and after Ghislaine had taken my food away".<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=N|last2=P|last3=R|date=2021-12-17|title=Sarah Ransome writes about Jeffrey Epstein abuse allegations in 'Silenced No More'|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/12/17/1065083182/sarah-ransome-writes-about-jeffrey-epstein-abuse-allegations-in-silenced-no-more|access-date=2026-02-23|work=NPR|language=en}}</ref> In her 2021 book, Ransome writes that she attempted to swim off the island after Ghislaine "snatched away" her dinner and replaced it with cucumbers and tomatoes.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Ransome|first=Sarah|title=Silenced No More: Surviving My Journey to Hell and Back|date=2021|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780063213708}}</ref>{{Reference page|page=171}}
Little Saint James has been given numerous nicknames in the media, such as "Isle of Babes",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/10/i-called-everyone-in-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book/|title=I called everyone in Jeffrey Epstein's little black book.|first=Leland|last=Nally}}</ref> "Island of Sin",<ref name="telegraph" /> "Pedophile Island",<ref name="LA Times">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jeffrey-epstein-private-island-20190712-story.html|title=Mystery surrounds Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the Caribbean|last1=Levin|first1=Jonathan|last2=Farrell|first2=Greg|last3=Metcalf|first3=Tom|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 12, 2019|access-date=July 13, 2019|archive-date=July 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713012944/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jeffrey-epstein-private-island-20190712-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nymag" /> "Orgy Island",<ref name="LA Times" /><ref name="nymag" /> "Lolita Island"<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/world/article/318467/Never-before-seen-images-from-Jeffrey-Epsteins-private-island-reveal-dentist-chair-mysterious-phone-list|title=Never-before-seen images from Jeffrey Epstein's private island reveal dentist chair, mysterious phone list|publisher=The Standard|quote=Epstein died in prison while awaiting trial on charges of operating a massive underage sex trafficking network. His private island, nicknamed "Lolita Island" by media, reportedly hosted parties involving underage girls.|date=December 4, 2025|accessdate=March 29, 2026}}</ref> and "Epstein Island".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Velsey |first1=Kim |title=Who Wants to Vacation on Epstein Island? |url=https://www.curbed.com/2023/05/jeffrey-epstein-little-st-james-resort.html |website=curbed.com |publisher=Curbed |access-date=September 2, 2023 |date=May 8, 2023 |archive-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902000557/https://www.curbed.com/2023/05/jeffrey-epstein-little-st-james-resort.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to a 2019 ''Vanity Fair'' article, two unidentified locals on St. Thomas said they saw Epstein board his plane in 2019 with girls "who appeared to be under the age of consent".<ref>{{cite news |last=Aguirre |first=Holly |date=July 20, 2019 |title="The girls were just so young": The horrors of Jeffrey Epstein's private island |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/horrors-of-jeffrey-epstein-private-island |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811052047/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/horrors-of-jeffrey-epstein-private-island |archive-date=August 11, 2019 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |newspaper=Vanity Fair}}</ref>
== Aftermath and new ownership == In August 2019, after Epstein's death, FBI agents searched his Little St. James residence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mangan |first=Dan |last2=Breuninger |first2=Kevin |date=August 12, 2019 |title=FBI searches Jeffrey Epstein's home in Virgin Islands |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/fbi-searches-jeffrey-epsteins-home-in-virgin-islands-nbc-news.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813054050/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/fbi-searches-jeffrey-epsteins-home-in-virgin-islands-nbc-news.html |archive-date=August 13, 2019 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |website=CNBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Schapiro |first=Rich |last2=Winter |first2=Tom |last3=Dienst |first3=Jonathan |date=August 13, 2019 |title=FBI agents swarm Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-agents-swarm-jeffrey-epstein-s-private-caribbean-island-n1041596 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813001044/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-agents-swarm-jeffrey-epstein-s-private-caribbean-island-n1041596 |archive-date=August 13, 2019 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |website=NBC News |via=}}</ref> In his will and testament (a nine-page pour-over will), signed two days before his death,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=DeGregory |first1=Priscilla |last2=Sheehy |first2=Kate |date=August 19, 2019 |title=Exclusive | Jeffrey Epstein signed will just two days before suicide |url=https://nypost.com/2019/08/19/jeffrey-epstein-signed-will-two-days-before-suicide/ |website=New York Post}}</ref> all of Epstein's holdings were transferred into the "1953 Trust", 1953 being the year of Epstein's birth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vicourts.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=15978988|title=Last Will and Testament of Jeffrey E. Epstein|website=Virgin Islands Courts|date=August 2019|last=Epstein|first=Jeffrey}}</ref>
In March 2022, Little St. James and neighboring Great Saint James were listed at $125 million. A lawyer for Epstein's estate said money obtained from the sale would be used to settle lawsuits. Bespoke Real Estate, the agency jointly overseeing the sale, said that further information on the listing was available only to prospective buyers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clarke |first=Katherine |last2=Paynter |first2=Sarah |date=March 23, 2022 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's Private Islands in the Caribbean to List for $125 Million |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands-in-the-caribbean-to-list-for-125-million-11647998425 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324232153/https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands-in-the-caribbean-to-list-for-125-million-11647998425 |archive-date=March 24, 2022 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |work=Wall Street Journal |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2022 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's St. James Islands Listed For Sale |url=https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/03/23/jeffrey-epsteins-st-james-islands-listed-for-sale/ |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=St. Thomas Source |archive-date=February 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214160054/https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/03/23/jeffrey-epsteins-st-james-islands-listed-for-sale/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In May 2023, billionaire Stephen Deckoff, under his firm SD Investments, announced the acquisition of Great St. James and Little St. James for $60 million.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dey |first1=Kunal |title=Stephen Deckoff: Billionaire acquires Jeffrey Epstein's private islands for $60 million |url=https://meaww.com/who-is-stephen-deckoff-billionaire-acquires-jeffrey-epsteins-private-islands-for-60-million |website=Meaww.com |access-date=November 23, 2025 |date=May 4, 2023 |quote=Deckoff acquired the properties for less than half of their $125M initial asking price}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Matthew |date=May 3, 2023 |title=Billionaire Investor Buys Epstein's Private Islands for $60 Million |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/business/epstein-islands-sale.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251031113121/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/business/epstein-islands-sale.html |archive-date=October 31, 2025 |access-date=December 30, 2025 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
== Epstein's buildings == thumb|Guest house and the main residence on the right
In 1997, the island had a main house, three guest cottages, a caretaker's cottage, a private desalination system, a helipad, and a dock.<ref name="WSJ" /> By 2019, its infrastructure had expanded to include a sprawling complex of residential and maintenance buildings.
=== Main residence === thumb|Kitchen inside the Main Residence
Edward Tuttle's architecture practice designed the renovation of the main house, often called a compound.<ref>{{Cite web | work=The Architect's Newspaper |date=August 15, 2019 |title=Eavesdrop: Here are all the architects and designers in Jeffrey Epstein's black book |url=https://www.archpaper.com/2019/08/eavesdrop-architects-designers-jeffrey-epstein-black-book/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |work = New York Magazine: Intelligencer |date=July 22, 2019 |title=Who Was Jeffrey Epstein Calling? A close study of his circle — social, professional, transactional — reveals a damning portrait of elite New York |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/jeffrey-epstein-high-society-contacts.html|last=Colyar|first=Brock|last2=Hurwitz|first2=Kelsey|last3=Klein|first3=Charlotte|last4=Kweku|first4=Ezekiel|last5=Larocca|first5=Amy|first6=Yinka|last6=Martins|last7=Raymond|first7=Adam K.|last8=Schneier|first8=Matthew|first9=Matt|last9=Stieb|last10=Walsh|first10=James D.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260309030640/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/jeffrey-epstein-high-society-contacts.html|archive-date=9 March 2026|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The renovation concluded sometime after March 2003<ref name="vanity fair" /> and the colonnaded villa-style house is where guests stayed while visiting the island.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Nicolaou |first=Elena |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's Private Island Has Become a Tourist Attraction |url=https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a32702788/jeffrey-epstein-island/ |website=Oprah Daily}}</ref> Besides the main residence, there are four additional residences.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=EFTA00020141.pdf UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT VIRGIN ISLANDS |url=https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%208/EFTA00020141.pdf}}</ref>
=== Epstein's cabana === thumb|The main office area in Epstein's Cabana
Epstein's personal residence on the island was a stone-walled cabana with a turquoise ceiling, one of many cabanas on the island.<ref name=":1" />
=== Guest cabanas === thumb|Guest cabanas
Four smaller single-story buildings are next to the Main Residence and a large pool. All four have blue roofs.<ref name=":2" />
=== Pool === The Recorder of Deeds had a lien for nearly $40,000 owed to Rex Wolterman for pool construction at the time of Epstein's death.<ref name="mh19q" />
=== Pool house === thumb|The pool house on the western end of the islandOn the west end of the island is a pool with a single-story structure.<ref name=":2" />
=== Temple === ==== Exterior ==== At the southwest point of the island is a blue-striped, boxlike building surrounded by an expansive square pavilion with geometric patterns meant to look like mosaics painted in red on a white background. The structure was initially topped by a golden dome, which Google Earth satellite images suggest was added between July 2013 and March 2014. Aerial footage from March 2015 shows the dome and two large, golden, avian-like statues atop the building with two sculptures in front.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 12, 2015 |title=4.8K aerial stock footage of an Oceanfront gold domed building, Little St James Island Aerial Stock Footage AX102_250 |url=https://www.axiomimages.com/aerial-stock-footage/view/AX102_250 |access-date=July 27, 2025 |website=Axiom Images}}</ref> Locals say the dome was blown away during Hurricane Maria in 2017.<ref name="schapiro">{{Cite web |last=Schapiro |first=Rich |date=August 1, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's bizarre blue-striped building on private island raised alarm |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-s-bizarre-blue-striped-building-private-island-raised-n1037511 |access-date=July 27, 2025 |website=NBC News}}</ref>
The purpose of the actual construction is unclear, and it deviates in substantial ways from the plans for the grand piano container that Epstein's architects submitted for approval in 2010.<ref name="schapiro" /> The planned "Music Pavilion" building was of an octagonal footprint. The planned building with a substantial covered porch, also octagonal, was much lower in perspective than the as-built. The constructed building was much taller, in the shape of a cube. The dome was also well within the footprint of the cube, and the building had none of the proposed finishes applied to the walls, nor was it constructed out of materials in those plans—namely, stone.<ref name="schapiro" />
Patrick Baron, a piano tuner and technician who worked in the area at the time, visited the island twice in 2012 to tune a piano inside the building. Baron later said the structure was a relatively small building near the coast and far from the other buildings. He said it was "dull pewter" in color, featured statues that resembled gargoyles atop the roof, and had a large glass door facing south.<ref name=":0"/>
Baron confirmed the building against photographs provided by Trotter, despite its being blue and white in the images, based on its size, shape and location—indicating the distinctive stripes and false wooden door were painted after October 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Trotter |first=J.K. |date=September 10, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's island temple inspired dozens of conspiracy theories. We spoke to someone who went inside. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-jeffrey-epstein-private-island-temple-2019-09 |access-date=July 27, 2025 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> Footage captured by Tyler Oliveira, an American content creator who sneaked onto the island in 2023, shows that the building and surrounding area had been painted white.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oliveira |first=Tyler |date=May 2, 2023 |title=I Snuck onto Jeffrey Epstein's Island |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t64D1o2vV9M&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD |website=YouTube}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed"> File:EFTA00002941-Temple - Striking blue and white striped building with arched doors stands on a coastal terrace surrounded by palm trees and red-striped pavement under a bright sky.jpg|alt= File:EFTA00002940-Temple - Blue-and-white striped building with a red-and-white labyrinth in front set against a tropical backdrop of palm trees and the ocean under a bright sky.jpg File:EFTA00002942-Temple - Blue and white striped building with an arched window and palm trees stands on a tiled patio under a bright sky.jpg </gallery>
==== Interior ==== Baron described the interior as having one large room with two levels. The ground floor was {{cvt|4|to|6|ft}} tall and another on a slightly raised platform, which was accessed by a single step. The flooring looked wooden and was covered by a large Oriental rug. He recalls a grey sofa to his right, against the eastern wall.<ref name=":0" />
Directly ahead of him was a dark wood desk of about {{cvt|10|ft|0}} long. Behind it were several columns of floor-to-ceiling bookcases. To his left, against the western wall, was a small black grand piano. Baron's notes describe the piano as having been manufactured by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Above the piano hung a portrait of Epstein and a Pope. Baron could not confirm which Pope it was.<ref name=":0" />
<gallery mode="packed"> File:EFTA00002962-Temple - Room under renovation with exposed walls wooden floor and a partially installed ceiling.jpg|Interior File:USVI IMG 5454 - Grand room under renovation with ornate wood shelves and striped walls features a detailed ceiling fresco still visible above the scaffolding.jpg File:EFTA00002961-Temple - Grand wooden bookcase with ornate columns stands in a room under renovation its shelves empty and surroundings stripped of decor.jpg File:EFTA00002952-Temple - Room under renovation with exposed wood paneling a partially installed bed and stacked yellow metal frames on the floor.jpg File:EFTA00002945-Temple - Room with ornate marble-patterned walls and a dark wooden floor featuring a window and partially restored ceiling.jpg File:USVI IMG 5455 - Vibrant mural depicts the celestial sphere with constellations and mythological figures against a dark blue backdrop.jpg|Ceiling mural </gallery>
=== Maintenance and logistics === * '''Helipad buildings''' – Two small structures with blue roofs next to the island's helicopter landing pad.<ref name=":2" /> * '''Maintenance facilities''' / '''office''' – Two structures (Maintenance One and Two); Maintenance One features "sally port" type doors, while Maintenance Two has a white exterior with several sets of double doors.<ref name=":2" /> * '''Sheds''' – Two single-story sheds with green-blue metal-like exteriors southwest of the Main Residence.<ref name=":2" /> * '''Dock House''' – A small roofed structure at the end of a wooden dock.<ref name=":2" />
== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed"> File:USVI IMG 5437 - Lush green hillside slopes down to a calm bay with palm trees and a white gazebo overlooking the ocean under a cloudy sky.jpg|Lagoon and the Temple on the hill, also the highest point of the island File:USVI IMG 5435 - Coastal path lined with palm trees leads to a stone building overlooking turquoise waters under a bright sky.jpg File:USVI IMG 5399 - Paved path with blue wave patterns leads to a sandy beach framed by palm trees and turquoise water with distant islands under a cloudy sky.jpg|Walkway towards the beach area from helipad File:USVI IMG 5394 - Rocky shoreline meets turquoise water under an overcast sky with a wooden pier and palm trees in the distance.jpg|Rocky shoreline and the dock File:USVI IMG 5370 - Tropical paradise framed by palm fronds with lush green hills and a serene beach visible through the dense foliage.jpg|View towards the dock and the pool house File:USVI IMG 5365 - Serene outdoor pool area with stone tiles palm trees and buildings featuring vibrant blue roofs under a cloudy sky.jpg|Buildings of the main area. Four guest houses on the left. File:USVI IMG 9221 Redacted page1 - Grand study room with ornate patterned armchairs bookshelves and a large blackboard all set under a bright painted ceiling.jpg|The interior of the Epstein's Cabana with a desk and a blackboard File:USVI IMG 5356 - Lush green lawn slopes down to a stone-paved walkway overlooking the turquoise sea and distant islands under an overcast sky.jpg|A view from the Main Residence deck area File:USVI IMG 5280 - Lush green lawn stretches beneath tall palm trees leading to a stone-walled building with a vibrant blue roof overlooking the ocean.jpg File:USVI IMG 5410 - Serene coastal patio with palm trees stone walls and a private pool overlooking the ocean.jpg|A view from the pool house towards the temple </gallery>
== See also == * Age of consent in the U.S. Virgin Islands
== References == {{reflist}}
{{United States Virgin Islands}} {{Jeffrey Epstein Sex Trafficking Scandal}}
Category:East End, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Category:Islands of the United States Virgin Islands Category:Private islands of the United States Virgin Islands Category:Properties of Jeffrey Epstein