The estate’s assets have swelled to $145 million, a probate court filing in the U.S. Virgin Islands shows. Much of that won’t make its way to Mr. Epstein’s victims.According to a probate court filing in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide while in prison, has grown to $145 million. However, it is unlikely that much of this money will make its way to his victims.
Initially, it was believed that the estate, which included art, jewelry, properties, and investments, would be used to settle claims from Epstein’s numerous sexual abuse victims and other legal matters. However, after a $111.6 million tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service last fall, the estate’s assets have increased significantly.
This has raised concerns that two of Epstein’s longtime business associates, who are serving as executors of his estate, may benefit greatly from this newfound wealth. It was previously estimated that the estate would shrink to less than $40 million after all the settlements were made. But with most large claims already settled, it is unlikely that the victims will receive any of this money.
Instead, the coexecutors, along with other beneficiaries chosen by Epstein before his death, may receive a portion of the estate. The identities of these beneficiaries remain largely unknown, but it has been revealed that one of them is a woman who was Epstein’s girlfriend at the time of his arrest in 2019.
Epstein’s only known living relative, his brother Mark, has stated that he does not know if he is among the beneficiaries. This has caused frustration among the victims and their advocates, who believe that the money should go to those who have suffered at the hands of Epstein.
Marijke Chartouni, who was sexually abused by Epstein when she was 20 and has already received a payment from the estate, stated, “I think that it is morally objectionable for anyone other than a victim to benefit from acts of injustice or wrongdoing. Victims continue to suffer.”
It is unclear how the estate will be distributed, but the fact that this money cannot be claimed by the victims who have already settled their cases is disheartening. The victims and their advocates hope that the estate will be used to provide some form of justice and closure for those who have been affected by Epstein’s actions.
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