Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein designated $5 million (£3.6 million) from his substantial estate to Ghislaine Maxwell, as per recently disclosed documents. The specifics of Epstein’s allocation were unveiled today as part of a significant release of records by the US Department of Justice, encompassing over 3 million pages linked to investigations and coverage of the sex offender who passed away in 2019.
In a section entitled “Bequests” within Epstein’s will, he stipulated that $5 million would be granted to Maxwell if she outlived him. Maxwell, a wealthy socialite, was incarcerated in 2022 for her involvement in trafficking minors for Epstein and was among nine beneficiaries set to receive $5 million upon Epstein’s demise.
The document also outlined that other recipients’ identities were redacted, while Epstein’s reported former girlfriend Karyna Shuliak was also entitled to $5 million in the will. Additionally, Epstein’s associate Jean-Luc Brunel, who was discovered deceased in a Paris prison cell in 2022, was slated to receive the same amount, with his lawyer Darren Indyke also listed as a beneficiary.
This document is part of the 3 million pages released today, which comprise 180,000 images and 2,000 videos. It is important to note that being referenced in the Epstein Files does not indicate any culpability.
Members of the Donald Trump administration have faced scrutiny regarding their handling of the documents’ release. Prior to his reelection bid, Trump and his campaign allies urged Democrats to disclose the Epstein Files. However, shortly into his second term, Trump reversed his stance and opposed Republicans advocating for the files’ release, surprising many of his supporters who had anticipated their disclosure.
Following pressure from both Republicans and Democrats, the government was compelled by law to make the documents public by late December. Despite this obligation, only a small fraction had been released until today.
Epstein met his demise in a New York City prison cell in 2019.