Jeffrey Epstein's Bizarre Daily Rituals and Hidden Life Revealed in DOJ Files
The latest release of Department of Justice documents has unveiled a wealth of new details about Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose connections span politics, business, academia, media, and high society. While many figures have faced repercussions this month due to their associations with Epstein, the files also shed light on his peculiar personal habits, tastes, and quirks, providing an intimate glimpse into his life beyond the scandal.
Epstein's Obsessive Household Management
Epstein was deeply involved in the minutiae of managing his multiple residences in New York, Palm Beach, the Virgin Islands, New Mexico, and Paris. Emails, messages with his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, girlfriend Karyna Shuliak, and employees, along with a detailed staff manual, reveal his exacting standards. Staff were instructed to tuck hot water bottles under his covers precisely at 7pm each evening and prepare a French press with exactly eight scoops of ground coffee every morning. A mandatory daily checklist required "J.E. muffins"—filled with bran for regularity—to be microwaved for 25 seconds and served with a spray bottle of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter by 7am.
Refrigerators in his master bedrooms needed daily stocking, and household staff had to address him as "sir." Beside each phone in his homes, a selection of reading glasses (prescription 3.5), large and small notepads, three pens, and three pencils were mandatory, with glasses checked daily for cleanliness. Epstein sent Shuliak, his girlfriend for nine years before his death, for special training in Japan and to a finishing school in Switzerland to learn how to run his households to his specifications, after funding her education at Columbia University's dental school. He bequeathed most of his real estate and wealth to her two days before his 2019 suicide, though she has yet to access it due to pending legal claims from victims.
Beef Jerky Obsession and Online Dating Ventures
Epstein had a serious fixation on beef jerky, with the word "jerky" appearing 380 times in the DOJ files. He preferred jerky made by Francis Derby, owner of the now-closed Cannibal restaurant in New York, who was on Epstein's payroll. In 2012, Derby boasted about using 70 pounds of steak for jerky in two weeks, but Epstein later expressed fury when orders fell behind, unaware Derby was hospitalized. Epstein demanded nutritional analysis of the jerky and criticized its presentation, with staff subsequently tracking supplies and arranging global deliveries.
Beyond his massage operation and street recruitment, Epstein was active on at least four online dating sites, including Match (as "Sultan 175"), OKCupid (as "gggeb"), Jdate (as "Edward242E"), and EHarmony. These sites sent daily suggestions for women in their early 20s, though it's unclear if he contacted them. Despite being a registered sex offender, dating apps did not automatically verify criminal histories, relying instead on user agreements.
Lottery Plays and Health Struggles
Starting as a high school math teacher and later funding top mathematicians, Epstein understood lottery odds but played anyway. In 2015, with a $485 million Powerball jackpot, he bought 100 tickets for the "girls" his staff referred to. He also purchased tickets for friends like Woody Allen and employees on his Virgin Islands properties. A tip to the FBI in 2009 suggested Epstein's Zorro Trust won an $80 million lottery ticket in New Mexico, though this remains unconfirmed.
Epstein faced numerous health issues, testing positive for chlamydia in 2015 and gonorrhea in 2016 and 2018. He had low testosterone levels, high triglycerides, cholesterol, and ailments including Lyme disease, parasites, and chronic conditions. By 2019, he was on ten prescriptions and used a CPAP machine. He maintained close contact with his doctor, Bruce Moskowitz, donating $150,000 to his foundation, and had cryogenically frozen his sperm.
Brotherly Banter and Irreverent Humor
Emails with his brother Mark Epstein, a real estate investor nicknamed "Puggy," reveal raunchy and irreverent banter. They joked about their parents, with Mark asking if their father was "part ape" and referencing bath-time anecdotes. In one exchange, Mark quipped about a "pedophile convention," to which Jeffrey corrected the plural form. Mark later inquired about the gynecologist used for Epstein's victims, showing apparent comfort with his brother's abuses. These communications highlight a dark humor and lack of concern amidst the ongoing scandal.
