The Jeffrey Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program (JEVCP) was a private settlement fund established by Epstein’s estate in June 2020. It was designed to compensate victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse outside of the traditional litigation process.
Who ran it: Attorney Kathleen Cargill was appointed as the independent administrator. She oversaw the claims process with the intention of providing objective evaluation of claims separate from the estate’s executors.
How it worked: Victims submitted claims detailing their alleged abuse. Each claim was evaluated individually. Awards were confidential — individual settlement amounts were not disclosed publicly. Victims who accepted awards signed releases giving up their right to sue the Epstein estate directly.
The totals: By the time the program concluded:
- Over 150 claimants received awards
- Total payouts exceeded $121 million
- The program was generally regarded as having provided significant compensation, though advocates noted it could not be independently verified whether all eligible victims were reached
Criticism:
- Some victims’ attorneys argued the program was designed to resolve claims in a way that protected the estate’s assets
- Women who were deported or otherwise outside the U.S. may have had difficulty accessing the program
- The confidentiality of awards made independent assessment impossible
- No admission of liability was required — awards did not constitute acknowledgment of wrongdoing by the estate
The JEVCP was separate from the civil lawsuit settlements with JPMorgan ($290 million), Deutsche Bank ($75 million), and the USVI government ($105 million).