Whilst sitting in a cell on sex-trafficking charges, Jeffrey
Epstein
signed a new Will only two days before his death. Epstein
reportedly left all of his estate – worth more than US$577
million – to a private trust (named the 1953 Trust, after the
year of his birth). Clearly there are suspicions this was done in
an attempt to hide money or make it more difficult to claim damages
for the women who say he abused them when they were teenagers.
Epstein has no wife or known children, and is said to have
listed his brother as single heir. The use of a private trust means
that the details of his beneficiaries are not released to the
public.
On Epstein's death, all criminal prosecutions for sex
trafficking and conspiracy charges were dismissed. However, his
alleged victims are able to pursue civil claims against his estate
for damages. By leaving his fortune to the 1953 Trust, the process
for alleged victims to receive damages has become more difficult,
as it will need
