CHAPTER 60 Jeffrey Epstein: July 2010 J effrey Epstein was done with jail, but he wasn’t done settling suits brought by his victims. Under the conditions of his non-prosecution agreement, he’s even paid for the victims’ lawyers. Still, Epstein’s NPA seemed to ensure that he would not be prosecuted again for his crimes. Double jeopardy was working in Epstein’s favor. But in July of 2010, reports began to appear in the press: federal investigators were following other leadsleads that could result in child-trafficking charges and a twenty-year sentence. The Florida attorney general’s office refused to comment. It was against policy to confirm or deny the existence of an ongoing investigation. One of Epstein’s lawyers told the Daily Beast that he had no knowledge of such an investigation. “Jeffrey Epstein has fully complied with all state and federal requirements that arise from the prior proceedings in Palm Beach,” Jack 230 Goldberger said. “There : not and should not be Epstein’s complete fulfillm agreement with the feder If there was an invest the moment, Epstein was to intellectual pursuits. 1 Science.com, that featur with Jeffrey Epstein,” “TI Jeffrey Epstein,” “Why E Epstein,” and “An Under Jeffrey Epstein.” The latt Epstein takes you to the knowledge to explore an the subtle, simple, and hic universe.” “Jeffrey doesn’t know shit art collector who has know “Does he like to act like he these academic scientistshave any money.” Other friends of Epstei liant mind for science. Anc than sponsor individual sc ences on Little Saint Jeff’s. ( ference called Mindshift at theoretical physicist Murra geons, engineers, and futi¶
FILTHY RICH Goldberger said. “There are no pending civil lawsuits. There are not and should not be any pending investigations, given Mr. Epstein’s complete fulfillment of all the terms of his non-prosecution agreement with the federal government.” If there was an investigation, nothing had come of it yet. For the moment, Epstein was free-free to turn his attention, again, to intellectual pursuits. He launched a website, JeffreyEpstein- Science.com, that featured blog posts such as “Conversations with Jeffrey Epstein,” “The Value of Quantum Computation to Jeffrey Epstein,” “Why Evolutionary Biology Intrigues Jeffrey Epstein,” and “An Understanding of Theoretical Physics from Jeffrey Epstein.” The latter post began: “This is where Jeffrey Epstein takes you to the very cutting edge of the frontiers of knowledge to explore and discuss our basic understanding of the subtle, simple, and hidden [qualities] that lie beneath…our universe.” CHAPTER 60 “Jeffrey doesn’t know shit about science,” says Stuart Pivar, the art collector who has known Epstein for more than three decades. “Does he like to act like he does? Yes. But he doesn’t. But as far as these academic scientists-without people like him they wouldn’t have any money.” Other friends of Epstein’s say that he truly did have a brilliant mind for science. And in any case, Epstein had done more than sponsor individual scientists. He’d also sponsored conferences on Little Saint Jeff’s. On his website, he announced a conference called Mindshift at which Nobel laureates, such as the theoretical physicist Murray Gell-Mann, would mix with surgeons, engineers, and futurists and where professors would th jail, but he wasn’t done settling ms. Under the conditions of his it, he’s even paid for the victims’ eemed to ensure that he would not rimes. Double jeopardy was workly of 2010, reports began to appear tors were following other leadschild-trafficking charges and a eral’s office refused to comment. It 1 or deny the existence of an ongostein’s lawyers told the Daily Beast of such an investigation. “Jeffrey with all state and federal requireor proceedings in Palm Beach,” Jack 230 231 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009312¶
JAMES PATTERSON discuss cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, systems of encryption and decryption, and other topics. Epstein had been hosting get-togethers like this for years. Toward the end of Chief Reiter’s investigation, in March of 2006, Epstein had hosted twenty top physicists-including three Nobel Prize winners as well as the celebrity physicist Stephen Hawkingat a Saint Thomas symposium called “Confronting Gravity,” which was advertised as “a workshop to explore fundamental questions in physics and cosmology.” “This is a remarkable group,” one of the Nobel Prize winners told a reporter for the St. Thomas Source. “There is no agenda except fun and physics, and that’s fun with a capital F,” Epstein said. Epstein had been especially interested in Stephen Hawking. Someday, Hawking had theorized, the universe would stop expanding and collapse, at which point time would begin to run backwards. Hawking believed that computer viruses were living things. He thought that given the size of the universe, alien life forms existed. He did not believe in God. But he had a vast appreciation for the inner workings of the universe, and this is why Epstein gave Hawking a tremendous gift. He paid to have a submarine modified so that it could fit Hawking and his wheelchair and give the scientist his first glimpse of an actual alien worldthe one that lies under the waves of the ocean. It was one of the most romantic, generous gestures that Jeffrey Epstein had ever made. 232 Al Seckel: January 201: E pstein’s partner in the Al Seckel, was knowi were said to have incl cian James “the Amazing” founder Elon Musk, as we Epstein would court in the c ladder. In certain Los Angeles ci to know. But, like Jeffrey Eps According to Mark Oppenhe and followed his career for fi by selling rare books and pa academic connections. “A number of these trans: lawsuits,” Oppenheimer wo HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009313¶
‘ATTERSON , artificial intelligence, systems of d other topics. get-togethers like this for years. ’s investigation, in March of 2006, physicists-including three Nobel brity physicist Stephen Hawking- m called “Confronting Gravity,” orkshop to explore fundamental ology. p,” one of the Nobel Prize winners as Source. pt fun and physics, and that’s fun ly interested in Stephen Hawking. orized, the universe would stop nich point time would begin to run 1 that computer viruses were living 1 the size of the universe, alien life eve in God. But he had a vast appregs of the universe, and this is why lendous gift. He paid to have a subuld fit Hawking and his wheelchair : glimpse of an actual alien worldaves of the ocean.¶
mantic, generous gestures that Jef- 232 CHAPTER 61 Al Seckel: January 2012 Epstein’s partner in the Mindshift conference, a man named Al Seckel, was known for throwing fabulous parties that were said to have included the actor Dudley Moore, magician James “the Amazing” Randi, and future Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, as well as many of the scientists Jeffrey Epstein would court in the course of his own climb up the social ladder. In certain Los Angeles circles, Al Seckel was a very good man to know. But, like Jeffrey Epstein, Seckel was a sort of illusionist. According to Mark Oppenheimer, a journalist who knew Seckel and followed his career for fifteen years, Seckel made his money by selling rare books and papers, often through his social and academic connections. “A number of these transactions resulted in accusations and lawsuits,” Oppenheimer would write. “In speaking to former 233
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JAMES PATTERSON Seckel acquaintances, I kept hearing variations on a scheme Mrs. Pearce Williams believed he perpetrated against her late husband, the man Seckel said was his mentor. Seckel took books and promised money, or he took money and promised a book; but somehow, the promised party lost money. “He was charming, erudite, humorous,” one of Seckel’s marks told the reporter. “I lent him $75,000. When the time came to pay it back he didn’t want to do it.” Oppenheimer found several people whom Seckel had stiffed and uncovered dozens of lawsuits he’d been involved in. In 2007, Seckel settled a libel lawsuit against a man who’d edited his Wikipedia page. Years later, Oppenheimer spoke with Seckel’s lawyer, Nicholas Hornberger. “Hornberger confirmed that he’d reached a settlement for the case, a favorable one,” the journalist wrote. “Hornberger added that Seckel has still not paid him for his services.” He also interviewed Seckel’s wife, Isabel Maxwell. Al and Isabel met on a blind date and married in Malibu in or “around” 2007 (“I don’t keep the dates in my head,” Seckel explained). A few years later, they moved to the South of France, where Seckel continued to trade in rare books and papers. While living in France, he was sued by a Virgin Islands company that accused him and Isabel of fraudulently attempting to sell rare books and a seventeenth-century portrait of Isaac Newton. Seckel had also been trying to sell papers belonging to Isabel’s father. Isabel is Ghislaine Maxwell’s sister and the daughter of Robert Maxwell.¶
234 It was an odd thing, Epste PhD who, on closer inspec But the Mindshift confer in the Virgin Islands dic Mann was there, along wit coauthored books with St expert on artificial intelli attended the conference, sa about it. “We had scientific disc he said vaguely. When Mark Oppenheir Seckel, Sussman “got testy” “I have had some dealir want to say what it’s abo it, okay?” Today, Epstein’s websites— JeffreyEpsteinScience.com— long since expired. Several r tributions, including New Yc Palm Beach, announced tha gifts. “The further I can keep better,” said Ballet Palm Beac But in 2012, Epstein held Jeff’s. Once again, three Nobe Stephen Hawking was also th twenty-one physicists—from¶