Who currently owns or manages each major Epstein property (Little Saint James, Palm Beach, Manhattan, New Mexico)?
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Executive summary
Major Epstein properties have largely exited his control: Little St. James and Great St. James were sold to investor Stephen Deckoff in 2023 (reported purchase price $60 million for both) [1][2]; Epstein’s Upper East Side Manhattan townhouse was sold in 2021 to former Goldman Sachs executive Michael Daffey for about $51 million [3][4]; Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion was sold and demolished after purchase by developer Todd Michael Glaser (sale and demolition completed by 2021–2024, with later lots sold/redeveloped) [5][6][7]; and his New Mexico Zorro Ranch was sold to San Rafael Ranch LLC in 2023, recorded in county records with the buyer listed as that LLC [8][9].
1. Islands: Little St. James and Great St. James — Bought by a financier planning a resort
After years in legal limbo and litigation by Virgin Islands and survivors, Epstein’s two private islands were sold in 2023 to Stephen Deckoff (SD Investments/Black Diamond Capital founder), who publicly framed the purchase as a move toward redevelopment into a resort; reporting places the combined transaction at about $60 million for both islands [1][2][10]. Coverage notes the islands had been deeply implicated in civil claims and criminal allegations and that proceeds from prior property sales were routed toward victim compensation and litigation settlements [1][11][12]. Some local and survivor advocates have pushed for accountability or restrictions, but available sources do not describe final regulatory or community approvals for Deckoff’s planned resort [2].
2. Manhattan townhouse (9 East 71st Street) — Purchased and renovated by Michael Daffey
The Upper East Side mansion long associated with Epstein left the estate in March 2021 when Michael Daffey, a former Goldman Sachs executive, closed on the property for roughly $51 million; proceeds were allocated to the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program, per estate counsel and news reporting [3][13]. Subsequent reporting in 2025 shows Daffey completed renovation work intended to erase traces of Epstein’s occupancy and to remodel parts of the mansion [4][14]. Legal filings and forfeiture efforts had previously targeted the townhouse as a site used in trafficking allegations; the sale and renovations reflect the estate’s broader program of liquidating properties to satisfy claims and fund compensation [15][12].
3. Palm Beach estate — Sold, demolished and redeveloped under private buyers
Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion was sold after his death, acquired by developer Todd Michael Glaser and demolished to make way for a new home; Glaser bought the property in early 2020/2021 and razed the residence shortly thereafter, and later transactions show the lot and redevelopments changed hands again with addresses deliberately altered to reduce the association with Epstein [5][16][7]. Local reporting documents the sale and demolition and notes funds from the broader property liquidation were intended for estate administration and survivor compensation [6][7]. Available sources do not list a current single “owner of Epstein’s Palm Beach property” in personal name beyond the chain of LLC trusts and trustees involved in redevelopment [7][17].
4. Zorro Ranch, New Mexico — Sold to San Rafael Ranch LLC; buyer identity shielded behind an LLC
The sprawling Zorro Ranch (often called Zorro Ranch) was sold by the Epstein estate in 2023; county records and multiple local outlets list the purchaser as San Rafael Ranch LLC, an entity filed in July 2023, with the sale price not publicly disclosed because New Mexico is a non‑disclosure state [8][9][18]. Reporting confirms the estate attorney acknowledged the sale and that proceeds would go to estate administration and creditors [8][19]. Local coverage notes the recorded buyer is an LLC whose beneficial owners were not publicly identified in county records, and successors have contested property valuations for tax purposes, which underscores opacity in who ultimately controls the ranch [20][9].
5. Money, motive and transparency — why ownership matters
Journalists and legal filings show the sale proceeds from Epstein’s properties have been routed—at least in part—to victim compensation programs and estate administration; Forbes and others estimate most properties were sold between 2021 and 2023 for roughly $160 million with large portions allocated to survivor funds, though the estate retained sums for administration and taxes [12][21]. Congressional document releases and continued litigation keep scrutiny on who benefits from remaining estate assets and on whether any alleged co‑conspirators retain influence—a persistent political and legal subtext in reporting [22][23][24]. Available sources do not provide exhaustive disclosure of the ultimate beneficial owners behind every LLC used in these purchases; in several cases (notably San Rafael Ranch LLC and certain Palm Beach trust transactions) public records list limited-liability entities without naming individual principals [9][7].
Limitations and caveats: reporting is spread across local and national outlets and some details remain shielded by LLC structures and nondisclosure rules; the sources above reflect the publicly reported chain of title and estate statements but do not reveal private beneficiaries not recorded in public filings [9][7]. Where sources do not name an individual or identify final operational plans, I note that “available sources do not mention” those details [2][9].