ERSON FILTHY RICH re his demise. “It was poor. It We were very poor. We didn’t atl. They had shoes, they had the war, I discovered the fate of others, relatives, and neighbors. their minds as they realized chamber.” owed by an international scanhundreds of millions of pounds ds and used them to prop up his ried for conspiracy to commit But Ghislaine, who had grown and counted the Duke of York nates, could not escape the dark king to start fresh, she took the Brooklyn boy knew nothing about. One friend jokes that she taught Epstein the difference between a fish fork and a salad fork. But despite or was it because of?-Maxwell’s devotion to Epstein, she, too, graduated from girlfriend to friend status. According to Jane Doe 102 vs. Jeffrey Epstein, a civil complaint filed in 2009 by a woman later identified as Virginia Roberts, one of the services Maxwell provided for Epstein was the procurement of underage women. (Through her lawyer and in court papers, Maxwell has vehemently denied any involvement with Virginia, with any other young woman Epstein was involved with, or with any criminal activities committed by Jeffrey Epstein. In a 2016 answer to a defamation lawsuit brought by Roberts, Maxwell called the allegations fabricated for financial gain.) The case of Nadia Bjorlin, who was thirteen when she was first noticed by Epstein, raises questions in this regard, at least in the eyes of her mother. Bjorlin’s Iranian-born mother spoke to a British tabloid some years ago about her family’s disturbing experience with Maxwell and Epstein. Bjorlin’s father, a celebrated conductor of classical music, had died a year earlier, the mother said. She believed that this made the girl a vulnerable and easy target. “She was at school at the famed Interlochen Arts Center, in Michigan, when she met Epstein,” the mother said. “My daughter was a singer. She was a baby. She was a skinny little girl, not mature for her age. She was thirteen, but everyone thought she was nine or ten. “Epstein was a big donor, and he heard about Nadia and that her father had died, so she was vulnerable, and he contacted her. He said, ‘Here’s my number.’ “He kept saying, ‘Come-will you come?’ He said he wanted 1 Epstein were lovers. “She was a longtime friend of Ghislaine’s. more. Ghislaine took care of She managed his household and rooklyn-born Jewish boys could ng to lawsuits and witness testiof several women who procured ing to people who knew her back temed to take pleasure in satisfyein to a fabulous world that the 116 117 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009268¶
JAMES PATTERSON to help mentor her. I wouldn’t let her meet him. What sort of a man approaches a young girl and asks to meet her?” In the meantime, Maxwell had become friendly with the family. “I trusted Ghislaine; she was like a mother,” Bjorlin’s mother recalled. “She was always calling my house. “Ghislaine didn’t want me to meet Epstein, but I did anyway, and I asked what he wanted with Nadia. He said he wanted to help her singing career. He said, ‘I’d like to be like a godfather.’ It felt creepy. “I had a bad vibe about him and said, ‘Stop!’ I told him, ‘No, thank you. She doesn’t need your help.’ I kept Nadia away from him. She never met him alone. She never went anywhere with him.” Despite her suspicions, it took Epstein’s arrest to make Bjorlin’s mother wonder whether Maxwell and Epstein hadn’t been sizing her daughter up for his stable of underage women. Leslie Wexner: 19 L eslie Wexner, th erner. Born in Russian-Jewish shooter-taciturn ar For several years was the largest yacht Wexner’s employ fiercely loyal to thear In time, he’d com “Everyone was n ays Robert Morosk retailer the Limited, “Almost everyor rotlier former emp nt of nowhere.” 118 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009269¶
TERSON t her meet him. What sort of a asks to meet her?” had become friendly with the e was like a mother,” Björlin’s s calling my house. meet Epstein, but I did anyway, th Nadia. He said he wanted to I’d like to be like a godfather.” It and said, ‘Stop!’ I told him, ‘No, or help.’ I kept Nadia away from e never went anywhere with him. ok Epstein’s arrest to make Bjor- Jaxwell and Epstein hadn’t been table of underage women. 118 CHAPTER 30 Leslie Wexner: 1993 I eslie Wexner, the richest man in Ohio, is a proud midwesterner. Born into the rag trade (Wexner’s parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants), he grew up to be a straight shooter-taciturn and camera-shy. For several years running, his 315-foot boat, the Limitless, was the largest yacht owned by an American. Wexner’s employees loved him, and he was known to be fiercely loyal to them. In time, he’d come to see the same qualities in Jeffrey Epstein. “Everyone was mystified as to what [Epstein’s] appeal was,” says Robert Morosky, a former vice chairman of the clothing retailer the Limited, founded by Wexner. “Almost everyone at the Limited wondered who he was,” another former employee of Wexner’s recalls. “He literally came out of nowhere.” 119 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009270¶
JAMES PATTERSON Fn But it seems that Epstein did work hard to untangle Wexner’s finances. And it appears he succeeded. “Jeffrey cleaned that up right away,” a former associate of Epstein’s says. The two men became all but inseparable. “Very smart, with a combination of excellent judgment and unusually high standards,” Wexner said of Epstein at the time. “Also, he is always a most loyal friend.” When Wexner wanted to break up with a woman he’d been dating for several years-a woman who moved to Ohio and converted to Judaism to make him happy-he dispatched Epstein to do the dirty work. When Wexner hired a decorator for his Ohio mansion and wanted someone to verify the authenticity of several expensive antiques, Epstein flew in his friend Stuart Pivar, the renowned art collector and author. (According to Pivar, most of the antiques were cheap imitations.) When Wexner traveled abroad, he’d bring back trinkets and gifts for Epstein. When Wexner wanted to see Cats, Epstein arranged to have the cast perform in his mansion. In Ohio, Wexner’s associates whispered about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. In New York, they wondered about Epstein’s role in Wexner’s 1993 marriage to Abigail Koppel. At thirty-one, Koppel was twenty-four years Wexner’s junior. It was Epstein who negotiated the prenuptial agreement and orchestrated its very strange signing. Abigail signed the agreement in her law office. Wexner signed it in his office. According to an associate of Epstein’s who was present, Epstein brought a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model along to Wexner’s office, as if 120 to make the point that then world. As a joke, Epstein pl belly and had Wexner sign it Epstein asked his friend: “Yes, Jeffrey,” said Wexne “It was an uproarious sce Jeffrey being Jeffrey. That wa HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009271¶
TERSON FILTHY RICH work hard to untangle Wexner’s eeeded. “Jeffrey cleaned that up Epstein’s says. inseparable. tion of excellent judgment and ner said of Epstein at the time. riend. eak up with a woman he’d been an who moved to Ohio and conhappy-he dispatched Epstein rator for his Ohio mansion and authenticity of several expensive iend Stuart Pivar, the renowned ling to Pivar, most of the antiques I Wexner traveled abroad, he’d r Epstein. When Wexner wanted to have the cast perform in his whispered about his relationship rk, they wondered about Epstein’s : to Abigail Koppel. twenty-four years Wexner’s junior d the prenuptial agreement and signing. Abigail signed the agree- r signed it in his office. According no was present, Epstein brought a odel along to Wexner’s office, as if 120 to make the point that there are other beautiful women in the world. As a joke, Epstein placed the agreement on the model’s belly and had Wexner sign it right there. Epstein asked his friend: “Are you sure you want to do this?” “Yes, Jeffrey,” said Wexner. “Quite sure.” “It was an uproarious scene,” Epstein’s associate recalls. “Just Jeffrey being Jeffrey. That was his gestalt.” 121 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009272¶