Epstein Becomes Math Teacher at Dalton School, Manhattan
Jeffrey Epstein, without a college degree, is hired to teach mathematics and physics at The Dalton School, an elite Manhattan private school whose students include children of some of New York's wealthiest families. He uses the position to cultivate the relationships that will launch his financial career.
Jeffrey Epstein was hired as a mathematics teacher at The Dalton School in September 1973. He was approximately 20 years old and had not completed a college degree, having enrolled but not graduated from Cooper Union and New York University.
At Dalton, Epstein taught math and physics to middle and upper school students. The school’s student body included children from some of New York City’s most prominent families, providing Epstein with his first systematic exposure to extreme wealth.
During his time at Dalton, Epstein reportedly impressed parents with his mathematical ability and social confidence. He developed relationships with at least one influential family — the Hoffmans — whose father, Alan Greenberg (not to be confused with Greenberg of Bear Stearns), introduced him to Bear Stearns executives.
Epstein was not asked to return to Dalton after approximately one year of teaching. The circumstances of his departure were not publicly documented. By 1976, he had secured a position at Bear Stearns.
The Dalton period represents an early example of a pattern that would define Epstein’s life: using proximity to wealth and privilege to build relationships far above his apparent station, and departing under undisclosed circumstances.