Question
What was Epstein’s original Manhattan address and how did he get the townhouse?
Answer
Jeffrey Epstein’s primary Manhattan residence was the mansion at 9 East 71st Street, in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. It is one of the largest single-family townhouses in New York City — a nine-story, 21,000-square-foot (some accounts say larger) mansion on a prestigious block near Central Park.
Acquisition from Wexner The townhouse was originally purchased by Leslie Wexner in the 1980s, who acquired it for reported use as a New York residence. Under the remarkable power of attorney arrangement between Wexner and Epstein, the property was transferred to Epstein around 1996 for a nominal consideration — effectively a gift.
Wexner has stated that the transfer was legitimate but has not fully explained the terms or the reasoning. Critics have noted that the townhouse’s value at the time of transfer was tens of millions of dollars, making it one of the most valuable single real estate transfers in recent New York history — and that its transfer from a billionaire to his personal manager for essentially nothing represents one of the most opaque financial aspects of the Epstein-Wexner relationship.
Use and Sale Epstein used the townhouse as his primary New York residence and as the main venue for his famous intellectual dinner parties. When federal agents searched it in July 2019, they found the photographic and recording materials central to the new charges. Epstein’s estate sold the townhouse in 2021 for approximately $51 million.
Sources
- New York City property transfer records
- Investigative reporting on Wexner-Epstein financial relationship
- Federal search warrant documents for 9 East 71st Street (2019)