The Property at 22 Avenue Foch
Jeffrey Epstein owned an apartment at 22 Avenue Foch, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris — one of the most prestigious residential addresses in the French capital. Avenue Foch, a broad boulevard running from the Arc de Triomphe toward the Bois de Boulogne, is lined with some of the most valuable real estate in Paris, predominantly occupied by foreign embassies, financial institutions, and ultra-wealthy individuals.
The apartment’s value placed it in the same category as Epstein’s other elite international properties: the Manhattan townhouse, the Palm Beach mansion, and the Palm Beach castle known as Zorro Ranch. The Paris property was a functioning residence that Epstein used regularly during his frequent European travels, not merely a nominal investment.
Who Visited the Paris Apartment
Visitors to the Paris apartment included figures from the European social and intellectual worlds that Epstein cultivated. Ghislaine Maxwell’s European connections — through her father Robert Maxwell’s extensive French and British business relationships and through her own social life in London and Paris — made Paris a natural hub for the European dimension of their shared social operation.
Depositions and civil litigation discovery produced accounts from individuals who attended social gatherings at the Avenue Foch apartment. These gatherings followed the same pattern as Epstein’s New York dinners: intellectuals, businesspeople, scientists, and public figures mixing in an atmosphere of cultivated exclusivity that was designed to reinforce Epstein’s image as a serious person of substance.
Role in European Recruitment
The Paris apartment was significant to the European recruitment dimension of Epstein’s operation. Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent who partnered with Epstein in the MC2 Model Management venture, was France-based and the Paris apartment facilitated their working relationship. Brunel’s connections to the Paris fashion and modeling industry were accessible from this base.
French victims who later came forward described being approached in contexts connected to the Parisian modeling world and meeting Epstein or Maxwell in Paris before or after being introduced to a broader abuse network.
The French Investigation
Following Epstein’s 2019 arrest and death, French examining magistrates opened a formal judicial investigation into his activities in France. French law allows a broader investigative scope than U.S. federal investigations, and the probe examined:
- Allegations of aggravated sexual assault and trafficking on French territory
- The activities of Jean-Luc Brunel and other Epstein-connected individuals in France
- The use of the Paris apartment and other French venues in the trafficking operation
- The application of French law to acts that occurred partly or wholly in France
The French investigation proceeded separately from the U.S. proceedings and resulted in Brunel’s arrest in France in December 2020.
Maxwell’s French Connections
Ghislaine Maxwell’s own French connections were significant. Her father Robert Maxwell had extensive business operations in France and the Maxwell family had relationships in French business and political circles. Ghislaine Maxwell’s social fluency in French elite culture made Paris a comfortable environment for both personal and operational purposes.
Property After Epstein’s Death
The Paris apartment became part of the estate subject to probate. The complicated cross-jurisdictional nature of French real property succession and the French legal proceedings complicated the disposition of the property. The estate’s international assets — Paris, New York, Palm Beach, New Mexico, and the USVI islands — required coordination across multiple legal systems.