He never finished college, yet by his 30s, Jeffrey Epstein was rubbing shoulders with presidents, billionaires, and Nobel laureates—amassing a fortune that bought private islands, Manhattan mansions, and a Boeing 727 dubbed the “Lolita Express.T

Jeffrey Edward Epstein’s life story reads like a cautionary tale of ambition unchecked. Born in 1953 in working-class Brooklyn, New York, Epstein excelled in mathematics but dropped out of both Cooper Union and New York University’s Courant Institute without earning a degree. Undeterred, he landed a teaching job at the prestigious Dalton School in Manhattan in 1974, where he taught physics and math to children of the elite.

His big break came in 1976 when a student’s parent, impressed by his intellect, connected him to Ace Greenberg, CEO of Bear Stearns. Epstein joined the investment bank, quickly rising to limited partner by 1980 despite early scandals involving lies about his credentials and expense abuses. He left in 1981 amid controversy but founded his own firm, managing money for ultra-wealthy clients.

Epstein’s fortune grew mysteriously, largely through his close relationship with billionaire Leslie Wexner, founder of Victoria’s Secret, who granted him power of attorney and vast fees. By the 1990s, Epstein owned lavish properties: a Manhattan mansion, Palm Beach estate, New Mexico ranch, Paris apartment, and private Caribbean islands. He cultivated an elite circle, socializing with presidents, royalty, scientists, and celebrities, flying them on his private jet dubbed the “Lolita Express.”

Yet beneath the glamour lay horror. Starting as early as the 1990s, Epstein systematically recruited and abused underage teenage girls, some as young as 14, often under the guise of “massages.” With help from associates like Ghislaine Maxwell—convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking—victims were groomed, paid, and coerced into recruiting others, forming a pyramid of exploitation. Federal probes identified dozens of victims, alleging rape and trafficking across his properties.

Arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges, Epstein died by suicide in jail weeks later, fueling conspiracy theories. His 2008 lenient plea deal and opaque wealth origins remain scrutinized amid ongoing document releases in 2025.

Epstein’s legacy endures as a symbol of how power and money can enable unimaginable abuse.