Question
What happened to Epstein’s New York City townhouse after his arrest and death?
Answer
Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street was a 40-room mansion transferred to Epstein by Les Wexner in the early 1990s under circumstances that investigators later examined closely. It served as one of Epstein’s primary residences and was identified in victim testimony as a location where abuse occurred.
Federal agents executed a search of the townhouse following his July 6, 2019 arrest. Agents recovered evidence including alleged child sexual abuse materials, compact discs labeled with names of prominent individuals, and digital storage devices. Prosecutors referenced these materials in subsequent court proceedings but detailed inventories were not made fully public.
Following Epstein’s death in August 2019, the property became part of his estate. It was listed for sale and ultimately sold in early 2021 for approximately $51 million to hedge fund executive Michael Daffey — significantly below the property’s estimated market value of $75–80 million prior to the case’s notoriety. The sale price reflected the reputational impact of the association with Epstein’s crimes.
The property had previously been used by Wexner, who reportedly renovated it before its transfer to Epstein. The transfer mechanism — at what many considered an anomalously low price or as a gift — was one of many unusual aspects of the Wexner-Epstein financial relationship.
Sources
- Estate sale records, 2021
- Federal search warrant disclosures, Southern District of New York
- New York Times reporting on the property history and sale