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Please do not suffer in silence. In 1998, Jeffrey Epstein bought a small island in the Caribbean.

The island was called Little St. James.

It measured less than 80 acres, a patch of scrub and exposed rocks surrounded by shallow turquoise water in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

At the time, the sale attracted little notice.

The wealthy buyers had been acquiring private islands in the territory for years, and the local government openly encouraged it.

The incentives were pretty straightforward.

There was favorable tax treatment. There was also minimal oversight and a promise of privacy for investors willing to bring

more money into the islands. Local coverage treated the purchase accordingly. Another property

changing hands. Another rich man with another island. Epstein moved fast. Crews were brought

into clear brush and cut roads into the hillside. A large villa complex was built at the highest

point of the island, positioned above the bay. A helipad was carved directly into the rock. Staff

housing followed, along with solar panels, backup generators,

and a desalination system. A private dock extended into the water, designed to handle yachts and

supply boats. Within a few years, Little St. James operated with its own power, water, transport,

and internal security. The island functioned almost entirely independently.

Near the top of the hill, Epstein constructed a square white building capped with a blue and gold

dome.

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