Who are the current heirs and beneficiaries of Jeffrey Epstein's estate as of 2025?
Executive summary
As of 2025, most reporting indicates Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has been whittled down by settlements to victims and litigation but rebounded after a large IRS refund to roughly $145–150 million; primary named potential beneficiaries include his brother Mark Epstein, longtime girlfriend Karyna Shuliak (identified as a potential recipient of about $4.65 million in personal property), and co‑trustees/executors Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn — though victims’ claims and lawsuits continue to constrain distributions [1] [2] [3]. Court documents and reporting show co‑trustees control the trust and have been both potential beneficiaries and defendants in lawsuits that could affect who ultimately receives funds [3] [2].
1. Who the public sources say are the named heirs and potential beneficiaries
Court filings and contemporary reporting identify a small set of individuals repeatedly linked to being heirs or potential beneficiaries of Epstein’s trust: Mark Epstein (Jeffrey’s brother), Karyna Shuliak (described in documents as a potential beneficiary of roughly $4.65 million in Manhattan personal property), and the estate’s co‑executors/trustees Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn — who are named both as fiduciaries and as potential beneficiaries in filings cited by The New York Times and summarized in other outlets [3] [2].
2. Why those names appear in reporting — trustees, heirs, and “potential” beneficiaries
The dual role of Indyke and Kahn explains why they appear so often: they are co‑trustees/co‑executors who manage the estate and are listed in trust documents, and those same documents and later litigation identify them as possible beneficiaries — a status that has attracted further litigation and scrutiny [3]. Mark Epstein is repeatedly identified in court papers as Jeffrey’s only potential heir and appears in estate records and reporting [4]. Shuliak’s mention in filings as a potential recipient of specific personal property is reported in court summaries and press coverage [2].
3. The money trail: estate value, refunds and the fight over who gets what
Epstein’s estate was once estimated near $600 million at death but was reduced dramatically by settlements with victims; by early 2025 reporting placed remaining value near $40 million before a substantial IRS refund boosted the estate back into the roughly $145–150 million range cited by multiple outlets [1] [3] [5]. That tax refund — variously reported as $105 million or $112 million in different sources — materially changed the estate’s available assets and the calculus around distributions [6] [2].
4. Victims’ claims and lawsuits remain the controlling force over distributions
Multiple sources emphasize that victims’ settlements and outstanding legal claims dominate the estate’s disposition: large sums already have been paid or earmarked for victims through official compensation funds (one report cites more than $164 million distributed), and class actions or other suits continue to seek recovery from any remaining assets, meaning named “beneficiaries” may receive little or nothing until claims are resolved [7] [8] [2].
5. Secrecy, subpoenas and congressional document releases complicate transparency
House Oversight actions have produced large document troves from the estate; the committee has released tens of thousands of pages and images that came from the estate and, as recently as late 2025, the estate and its heirs have been ordered or compelled to turn over records — underscoring both the public interest in the estate and the legal pressure on whoever controls it [9] [10] [11]. Reporting notes the estate has resisted some government requests and asserted privileges over communications, which could affect what the public learns about beneficiaries [12].
6. Competing figures and unresolved disputes: how firm are the labels “heir” or “beneficiary”?
Sources use cautious language — “potential beneficiary,” “believed to be,” and “identified by court papers” — because litigation and fiduciary disputes could change outcomes [3] [2]. Co‑trustees who are also named as potential beneficiaries are defending against lawsuits that allege misconduct; if those claims succeed, courts could restrict or strip any beneficial interests [3]. Available sources do not mention a finalized list of paid beneficiaries beyond victims’ compensation figures and specific property allocations to Shuliak [2] [7].
7. What to watch next
Watch three developments in public records: resolutions of the lawsuits naming Indyke and Kahn (which could block distributions to them) [3]; final accounting of the IRS refund and how the estate applies it to claims [1] [2]; and additional document releases from congressional or DOJ processes that may reveal further named beneficiaries or buried trusts [9] [10] [13]. Each could materially alter who ultimately benefits from Epstein’s remaining assets.
Limitations: this summary relies solely on the supplied reporting; available sources do not present a single, court‑approved final distribution list, and many details remain under litigation or redaction [3] [2].