$125M from Epstein estate awarded to approximately 150 victims
Around 225 people filed claims and 92% of eligible claimants accepted offers
The estate of Jeffrey Epstein has awarded $125 million to approximately 150 victims who filed claims against the late financier.
The program has closed after providing relief to 92% of eligible claimants who accepted their compensation offers, according to a spokesman for the estate. Around 225 people filed claims, far exceeding the 100 claims the estate had estimated it would receive.
"This important, independent Program allowed victims/survivors who were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein to resolve their claims outside of court through a voluntary, confidential, fair, empathetic and expeditious process – beyond the glare of public proceedings and without the costs and confrontation of litigation," independent Administrator Jordana H. Feldman said.
Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, Mass., Sept. 8, 2004. (Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images)
Epstein, 66, was a hedge fund manager who hobnobbed with the rich, famous and influential, including former President Bill Clinton and a British prince.
He died in August 2019 after he was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, N.Y., prison officials said at the time. The New York City Medical Examiner determined he committed suicide by hanging, but his death and the circumstances are still subject to investigation.
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At the time of his death, Epstein was awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy after investigative reporting by The Miami Herald stirred outrage over the 2008 plea bargain. He was accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.
The claims process laid bare a more concrete extent to Epstein’s abuse.
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Feldman stressed that the claimants received full confidentiality in a "safe space" to share "intimate, personal, often harrowing accounts" of their experiences with Epstein.
"Given the history of the Epstein case, we were also particularly mindful of the importance of providing claimants transparency into the claims process and offering them an opportunity to tell their stories," Feldman added. "Every decision made and every action taken was rooted in these guiding principles."
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Feldman stated that "no amount of money will erase the years of pain" the victims suffered, but she believes that the compensation will serve as a "measure of justice" and provide a much needed step towards healing.
FOX Business' Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.