A Scandal in Stone: The Infamous Epstein Townhouse

Forty rooms, seven stories, and 19,000 square feet—an extraordinary scale for a New York City townhouse, made even rarer by its 50-foot width. Once one of the city’s grandest residences, it suddenly became something far darker. That reality came crashing down on July 7, 2019, when federal agents raided 9 East 71st Street, the opulent townhouse of Jeffrey Epstein–also known as the Herbert N. Straus House—forever tied to one of the most infamous scandals in recent history.

Advertisement

Epstein was charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors, carrying a maximum sentence of 40 years, and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors, which carried a maximum sentence of five years. While awaiting trial at New York City’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, he died by hanging on August 10, 2019. The disgraced billionaire financier used an orange noose fashioned from a sheet or shirt. An autopsy by the New York Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide.

Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox

When authorities searched Epstein’s Upper East Side townhouse, located just half a block from Central Park, they uncovered the full extent of its horrors. The residence served as a hub for his sex trafficking operation, where he lured dozens of underage girls—some as young as 14—offering them hundreds of dollars. He paid some even more to recruit additional victims, according to the report. Hidden cameras were discovered throughout the property, raising further questions about the extent of his crimes.

ALSO READ: A Twisted Tale of Twin Gynecologist Brothers Found Dead in Upper East Side Apartment

Before Epstein was exposed, journalist Vicky Ward profiled him in a 2003 Vanity Fair article titled “The Talented Mr. Epstein.” She described his townhouse as “the crown jewel of the city’s residential townhouses,” highlighting its 15-foot-high oak door, massive arched windows, and status as the largest private residence in New York. “The entrance hall is decorated not with paintings but with row upon row of individually framed eyeballs; these, the owner [Epstein] tells people with relish, were imported from England, where they were made for injured soldiers,” Ward wrote. She also noted a towering sculpture—twice life-size—of a naked African warrior.

Advertisement

Prosecutors told a judge that, during a bail hearing days after the raid, they discovered a “pile of cash ($70,000), diamonds (48),” and “a passport from a foreign country” in a safe belonging to Epstein. Court documents also revealed they found “an extraordinary volume of photographs of nude and partially nude young women or girls.” Epstein was ultimately denied bail. Maria Farmer, one of Epstein’s accusers, told CBS News that Epstein had extensive surveillance systems in place and that his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell—currently incarcerated in Tallahassee, Florida, for a 2024 sex trafficking conviction—was involved in the operation. Farmer also claimed Maxwell threatened her life after she accused them of assaulting her in 1996.

ALSO READ: UES Townhouse – Blown Up by Doctor in 2006 – Sells for $20 Million

Disturbing items were also found in Epstein’s home. Strange artwork, including a life-size doll hanging from the ceiling, a mural of himself in a prison yard, and a painting of Bill Clinton in a dress, were among the discoveries. Regarding the secret cameras, Farmer told CBS, “They were monitors inside this cabinet… I looked on the cameras, and I saw toilet, toilet, bed, bed, toilet, bed,” she said, visibly spooked. “I’m like, ‘I am never gonna use the restroom here and I’m never gonna sleep here,’ you know what I mean? It was very obvious that they were, like, monitoring private moments,” Farmer explained.

In 2021, Goldman Sachs executive Michael D. Daffney purchased Epstein’s estate for $51 million. Daffney, who was retiring as chairman of the investment bank’s global markets division in London, paid far less than the $88 million asking price when the mansion first hit the market in July 2020. The price was slashed to $65 million in January 2021. A spokesperson for the Daffney family told The New York Times, “The first order of business is a complete makeover—physically and spiritually,” adding that the renovations were expected to take between 12 and 18 months.

Advertisement

Currently, there are no publicly available photos showing how the transformation is progressing.

The property at 9 East 71st Street seems to still carry a haunting shadow. In December 2024, vandals identified as “Pro-Luigi Mangione” defaced the exterior of Epstein’s former Upper East Side mansion with the three words the accused United Healthcare CEO murderer allegedly scratched onto the bullets used to kill his target: “Deny, defend, depose.” The New York Post reported that red spray paint was also used to deface the mansion’s gilded limestone façade with the phrases “Free Luigi” and “They Fear The People.”

Despite its sale and planned overhaul, the legacy of Epstein’s 9 East 71st Street townhouse remains etched into the Upper East Side’s history. The shocking revelations uncovered within its walls and the ongoing controversy surrounding the property serve as a constant reminder of the dark side of wealth and power. While the new owner aims to wipe the slate clean, the scars left by Epstein’s actions seem destined to linger, casting a long pall over what was once one of New York’s grandest homes.

Have a news tip? Send it to us here!