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Who currently owns Little Saint James and the other Epstein properties as of 2025?
Executive summary
As of the reporting in the provided sources, Little Saint James and neighboring Great St. James were sold in 2023 to billionaire investor Stephen Deckoff (SD Investments/Black Diamond Capital Management) for about $60 million total, with plans to convert them into a luxury resort aimed to open in 2025 [1] [2] [3]. Coverage through 2025 confirms Deckoff as the buyer but shows mixed follow‑up: developers announced resort plans, while local officials and satellite images indicate limited visible construction and some delays as of mid–late 2025 [2] [4] [5].
1. Sale and named buyer: a clean headline, complicated aftercare
Multiple contemporary news outlets reported that Stephen Deckoff — founder of Black Diamond Capital Management or SD Investments — purchased Little St. James and Great St. James for roughly $60 million in 2023 and publicly announced intentions to develop a five‑star, 25‑room resort, hiring architects and targeting a 2025 opening [1] [2] [3]. News organizations from Business Insider and Fortune to the AP and CNBC consistently named Deckoff as the buyer and tied proceeds to settlements with the U.S. Virgin Islands government [1] [2] [6] [3].
2. Estate mechanics and where sale proceeds went
Reporting notes the sale came from Epstein’s estate and related entities; coverage states some proceeds were allocated toward a $105 million settlement the estate reached with the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, meaning the transaction was part of a larger legal and financial unwind of Epstein’s assets [6] [7]. The BBC’s 2022 coverage of the islands being put up for sale also emphasized the estate’s role and the use of sale proceeds for legal claims [8].
3. Promised redevelopment vs. on‑the‑ground reality
Deckoff and his representatives repeatedly described an ambitious plan to transform the islands into a world‑class resort with an anticipated 2025 opening [2] [9]. But later reporting raises questions: local officials and observers told reporters they had seen little construction, satellite imagery through 2025 showed minimal visible change, and U.S. Virgin Islands authorities reported not receiving some planning applications publicized in the initial press releases — all indicating delays or slower progress than the early statements implied [4] [5].
4. Local reactions and unresolved questions
Coverage documents divided local opinion: proponents tout economic development and jobs from a luxury resort, while survivors’ advocates and some residents argue the islands’ traumatic history deserves memorialization rather than immediate commercialization [5] [10]. Available sources do not mention whether a formal memorial or independent oversight to preserve the record of victims has been established on the islands (not found in current reporting).
5. What other Epstein properties are mentioned in the sources
The provided set focuses overwhelmingly on the two U.S. Virgin Islands islands (Little St. James and Great St. James) and their 2023 sale; broader ownership details for Epstein’s other properties (for example, his New York townhouse, Palm Beach home, or Colorado ranch) are not covered in these sources, so their current owners are not stated here (available sources do not mention ownership of other Epstein properties) [11] [12].
6. Conflicting signals and why reporting varies
Early transactional coverage [13] emphasized the sale and Deckoff’s redevelopment plan; later pieces in 2024–2025 emphasize that the promised reopening had not matched early timetables and show discrepancies between optimistic press releases and local or visual evidence of progress [2] [4]. This divergence suggests an implicit agenda in some promotional statements to present a rapid turnaround for reputational and commercial reasons, while independent local and journalistic scrutiny tracked actual permits, imagery, and planning records [2] [4].
7. Bottom line and what to watch next
As of the sources provided, Stephen Deckoff is identified as the current owner of Little St. James and Great St. James following the 2023 sale [1] [3]. Follow‑up coverage through 2025 documents announced redevelopment plans but also delays and limited visible construction [2] [4]. For definitive confirmation of development progress, planning permits, or any change in ownership after 2025, consult U.S. Virgin Islands land records, planning‑department filings, or more recent investigative reporting — those specifics are not present in the sources supplied here (available sources do not mention post‑2025 ownership transfers or updated permit approvals).