Exclusive new photos of Jeffrey Epstein’s famous private island taken by The Post show a major transformation as it undergoes a transformation into a luxury resort.
Image of Little St. James in the US Virgin Islands — where Epstein is said to have sex-trafficked with scores of women and which was raided by the FBI in 2019 — revealed a complete makeover of the late financier’s unique ‘temple’, with the distinctive blue stripes erased and a new coat of white paint applied.
The faint patterns that adorn the front and sides of the structure have also been bleached into memory, the pictures show.
The temple was previously painted to make it look like it had a pair of bannister front doors with medieval-style locks, but has now been renovated as an outdoor patio and fire pit, and looks ready for a DJ set.
The makeover is part of billionaire Stephen Deckoff’s plan to repurpose Epstein’s debauchery playground — formerly known as “Pedophile Island,” because it was used for orgies, orgies and other debauchery — into a luxury resort.
Deckoff bought both Little St. James and the nearby island of Great St. James for $60 million last May after several price cuts from their initial $125 million asking price.
The ‘temple’ structure at the site has been painted white. Shutterstock for the NY Post The mysterious building no longer features a gold dome or blue stripes, as shown in this 2019 photo. Splashnews
The new images also reveal some subtle additions to the property’s large pool area ahead of the launch — a pair of inflatable swans and some waterside seating.
Deckoff has chosen to renovate the island where Epstein is said to have entertained dignitaries, scientists, celebrities and others from around the world and cheated on the young girls he had forced to go there rather than demolish the existing structure.
Main house pictured from above – new owner Dan Deckoff plans to turn the property into a resort. Shutterstock for the NY Post A new photo shows two inflatable geese bobbing in a pond. Shutterstock for NY Post poolside daybeds seen around the pool area. Shutterstock for NY Post
The roofs of several structures in the compound – including Epstein’s former residence – have either faded over the years or are painted gray from their original blue.
Deckoff, which has also developed other nearby islands, is said to be planning a hotel, luxury resort and related attractions on the site.
Epstein originally bought Little St. James for $7.95 million in 1998. He later bought Great St. James in 2016 for $20 million, but it remains largely undeveloped.
During Epstein’s reign, the property featured a main villa, library, movie theater and bathhouse, helipad, private dock, gas station, gymnasium, tiki hut and guest accommodation.
Deckoff bought Epstein’s two islands for $60 million in May. Shutterstock for the NY Post Epstein killed himself in 2018, while accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell remains in a Florida prison. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Both Great St. James (left) and Littel St. James (right) was previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein Shutterstock for the NY Post
Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, told The Post Thursday he remembered visiting Little St. James before his siblings developed it fully at the turn of the millennium.
“It’s as—-y island,” he said of the plot, which would soon lead to global infamy. “He hired a crew and said he made it look like a Polynesian island. So they put a palm tree in it – he put in a lot of money, but he didn’t care.
“This is what he wanted, and he turned the island into what he wanted.”
He also revealed that his brother bought Great St. James mainly because he was afraid that someone else would buy it and cause him and his guests an unwanted sight.
Epstein’s house and other buildings are being renovated instead of Shutterstock being torn down for the NY Post A standalone pool is located on the westernmost point of the island. Shutterstock for NY Post
“He told me he was buying another island,” Epstein said of the 2016 transaction. “I said, ‘What do you need two islands for?’ He said if someone else bought it, in a short period of time he would have seen the McDonald’s arch [from the smaller] island.”
Deckoff, co-founder of Black Diamond Capital Management, hopes to unveil his much-anticipated project in 2025.
Epstein – who was hanged in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 shortly after being arrested for sex trafficking – hosted a parade of prominent figures he brought into his orbit at the site over the years.
Hundreds of women from around the world have come forward since her death, telling authorities they were trafficked to the glittering island as minors and then sexually abused.
Many of them were promised modeling contracts by Epstein or his accomplices — including the famous woman Ghislaine Maxwell.
Epstein originally bought Little St. James for $7.95 million in 1998. He later bought Great St. James in 2016 for $20 million, but it remains largely undeveloped. Shutterstock for the NY Post Epstein’s brother, Mark, said he wanted his property to have a Polynesian theme Shutterstock for the NY Post
One of Esptein’s accusers, Sarah Ransome, told in 2019 how she had made an attempt to escape the island several years earlier.
She told UK publication The Telegraph: “I was raped three times that day. A shark would be my best friend at that point. I didn’t even think about it – just, keep me away.”
Ransome said he hopped on an abandoned quad bike and headed for shore, planning to swim to the next inhabited island, St. Thomas.
However, he said Epstein had installed cameras all over the island and within minutes a team had tracked him down to bring him back to the property.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
