TTERSON got to speak to Carter directly. ing women. And we still get to te down the rest of what Carter l her. “I’m Canadian.” in the March issue, still created a lented Mr. Epstein” in a sly referlebrated suspense novel The Taltion, by Anthony Minghella, was nity Fair’s readers. For Graydon Is Epstein some sort of scam artist, n enough. And throughout the ers wouldn’t miss as they drew¶
stein’s life story. It came through it paragraph of Ward’s 7,500-word it there is something innocent, Epstein.” nt was rather ironic-so much so opposite. 152 CHAPTER 39 Todd Meister: June 2015 Harry Cipriani, on Fifth Avenue, is a New York institution. The restaurant began its life as an American outpost of Harry’s Bar-which was itself a famous American outpost in Venice. Located inside the Sherry-Netherland hotel, it’s a theme restaurant-the theme being money. And today, a hedge-fund manager named Todd Meister is talking about a very wealthy man-Jeffrey Epstein-whom he knows through his father, Epstein’s sometime friend Bob Meister. “I’ve known Jeffrey since I was nineteen,” Meister says. “So let me tell you what I know-whatever everyone knows and everybody else says. First off, he’s no billionaire. Second offand here’s why-he has no clue how to invest. He has people do that for him.” Meister knows how to invest. He does it for other people and, as the son of a superrich father, for himself. He also knows about the 153 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_008984
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JAMES PATTERSON FILT good life. Parties in Vegas; weekends in the Hamptons; affairs with beautiful women that end up getting splashed all over the tabloids. It makes sense that, once upon a time, he and Epstein would have gotten along. “As for the girls,” Meister says, “that was just business. He’d seat them strategically at client dinners. When he went to the movies, he’d take three or four girls with him. They’d take turns massaging his back, arms, and legs.” According to Meister, Epstein used to boast that he “liked to go into insane asylums because he liked to fuck crazy women.” “Who knows if it’s true?” Meister adds. “But I’m telling you, he used to say it.” From time to time, Epstein’s friends and acquaintances would see sides of Epstein that he’d grown much less shy about sharing. Epstein encouraged Alan Dershowitz to invest with a prominent hedge-fund manager named Orin Kramer. Dershowitz did, and he made a lot of money at first. But in 2008, the fund Dershowitz had invested in lost a substantial amount. Afterward, according to a former associate of Epstein’s, Epstein appeared in Kramer’s midtown Manhattan office. There, sources say, he told Kramer: “It’s very much in your interest to make Alan Dershowitz whole.” Epstein’s intervention worked, and Dershowitz recovered his money. To people who’d known Epstein back in the 1980s, this kind of behavior was out of character. But the thing about Epstein was that you never could figure him out. One minute he was charming. The most charming man you’d threat, and bluster. Something numbers: this many parties, t connection to Victoria’s Secret, Throw in the modeling ag you plug in the parties. The sce But the thing is, Eyes Wide Shi Epstein, getting on that plan moment in Caddyshack—the ( out from his hole in the golf Epstein was like the mole in a { a matter of time before he’d be to ask yourself was, are peopl als? Or are their morals like shed (along with all the othe everyday working people have Eyes Wide Shut world? Todd Meister, who was marri heiress Samantha Boardman editorial director James Truma loud: “How does a yutz like Epste At Harry Cipriani, the ques 154 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_008985¶
TERSON FILTHY RICH ds in the Hamptons; affairs with g splashed all over the tabloids. n a time, he and Epstein would ‘s, “that was just business. He’d dinners. When he went to the irls with him. They’d take turns egs.” n used to boast that he “liked to he liked to fuck crazy women.” eister adds. “But I’m telling you, riends and acquaintances would own much less shy about sharing. showitz to invest with a prominent n Kramer. Dershowitz did, and he in 2008, the fund Dershowitz had punt. Afterward, according to a forein appeared in Kramer’s midtown .say, he told Kramer: “It’s very much rshowitz whole.” ced, and Dershowitz recovered his in back in the 1980s, this kind of : But the thing about Epstein was 1 out. One minute he was charming. 154 The most charming man you’d ever meet. The next he was snarl, threat, and bluster. Something didn’t add up. So you’d run the numbers: this many parties, that many women. Even with the connection to Victoria’s Secret, the women didn’t add up, either. Throw in the modeling agency, it makes more sense. Then you plug in the parties. The scene brings Eyes Wide Shut to mind. But the thing is, Eyes Wide Shut only works in the shadows. For Epstein, getting on that plane with Clinton was more like a moment in Caddyshack—the one in which the groundhog peeks out from his hole in the golf course. From there on in, Jeffrey Epstein was like the mole in a game of whack-a-mole. It was only a matter of time before he’d be caught. But the question you had to ask yourself was, are people like Epstein born without morals? Or are their morals like snakeskin—just something they shed (along with all the other basic, day-to-day concerns that everyday working people have) as they make their way into that Eyes Wide Shut world? Todd Meister, who was married to Nicky Hilton and stole the heiress Samantha Boardman away from Condé Nast’s former editorial director James Truman, should know. He wonders out loud: “How does a yutz like Epstein get beautiful women?” At Harry Cipriani, the question lingers in the air. 155 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_008986¶