Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein attempted to buy the famous Greek island of Skorpios in 2011, according to recently released US Department of Justice documents.
The cache of roughly 3,000,000 documents contains emails showing Epstein coordinated with intermediaries between August and late 2011 to investigate a potential deal for the former home of Aristotle Onassis. It remains unclear whether Epstein intended to buy the island for himself or a third party.
The correspondence involved Boris Nikolic, 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. The following day, Nikolic alerted Epstein to Skorpios, describing it as “one of the most private islands in Greece.”
Epstein pushed for specific details, including whether the coastline was public or private. Although Nikolic warned that the island was “not officially for sale,” he later informed Epstein that the property was entirely private, detailing its residences, helipad, and its history with Jackie Kennedy.
By late August, Epstein, who was holidaying in Europe at the time, pressured Giraud for more information on the nearest airports and the level of privacy guaranteed. When Giraud initially remarked that “no island is absolutely private,” a frustrated Epstein demanded clarification. Giraud eventually confirmed that Skorpios was strictly private property with no public access allowed.
Plans for a site visit in October 2011 fell through after Epstein, then in New York, said he could not attend. A subsequent attempt 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 regarding Skorpios was exchanged just before the end of 2011, but the talks ultimately led nowhere.
