Washington, United States. Jeffrey Epstein attempted to buy the Greek island of Skorpios in 2011, according to recently released US Department of Justice documents. Emails show he worked through intermediaries to explore a potential deal, though the effort did not succeed.
Document cache and intermediaries
A cache of roughly 3,000,000 documents includes emails indicating Epstein coordinated with intermediaries between August and late 2011 to investigate a potential purchase of Skorpios, formerly the home of Aristotle Onassis. It remains unclear whether Epstein intended to buy the island for himself or for a third party.
The correspondence involved Boris Nikolic, described as a former associate of Bill Gates, and Richard Giraud, a French luxury real estate agent. On 5 August 2011, Giraud sent Nikolic details on various islands, and the following day Nikolic alerted Epstein to Skorpios, describing it as “one of the most private islands in Greece.”
Requests for privacy and access details
Epstein sought specific information, including whether the coastline was public or private. Although Nikolic warned that the island was “not officially for sale,” he later told Epstein the property was entirely private and provided details on residences, a helipad, and its history with Jackie Kennedy.
By late August, while Epstein was holidaying in Europe, he pressed Giraud for information about the nearest airports and the level of privacy available. After Giraud initially said that “no island is absolutely private,” Epstein demanded clarification. Giraud later confirmed that Skorpios was strictly private property with no public access allowed.
Failed site visits and talks ending
Plans for a site visit in October 2011 did not proceed after Epstein, then in New York, said he could not attend. An effort to schedule a visit in November also failed, as Epstein appeared discouraged by the long helicopter flight required to reach the island.
A final round of messages about Skorpios was exchanged shortly before the end of 2011, but the discussions ultimately went nowhere.
What do you think the documents reveal about how Epstein pursued high-profile real estate opportunities?