Jeffrey Epstein’s 'black book' with 221 high-profile names is being sold in secret auction
Epstein's 'black book' had a strange backstory before 'being put up for auction'
Jeffrey Epstein may have died in 2019, but parts of his life very much remain alive to this day.
At the beginning of the year, Epstein's associates were released to the public after a judge ordered the court documents be unsealed.
The documents formed part of a 2015 defamation lawsuit brought against Ghislaine Maxwell, a known associate of convicted sex offender Epstein, by one of his accusers, Virginia Giuffre.
At the time, the names were kept secret under a court-ordered seal - with the names 'John Doe' or 'Jane Doe' used to refer to the individuals involved.
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More than 150 names were released, including the likes of Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew.
Now, Epstein's 'little black book' of contacts has been put up for sale.
The book, which is said to include over 200 names, has been described by its sellers as a 'fascinating relic of criminal history'.
It's important to note that the book up for auction is not the same as the 2004 book currently in the hands of the FBI.
To protect the privacy of the buyer, the older black book is being offered in a sealed-bid auction.
It has an interesting backstory behind it after it was found on a pavement in New York.
It is believed to be from the mid-1990s, and forensic experts have since confirmed that it is real.
And those hoping to get their hands on the book will have to visit the Alexander Historical Auctions in Maryland.
“The history of this criminal relic is fascinating!” an advert posted to its website reads.
"In the mid-1990s a musician living in Manhattan discovered the book lying on a Fifth Avenue sidewalk in Midtown."
The auctioneers have stated there had been some previously unknown contacts among the book’s 400 entries.
Some 94 names have ticks next to them in the book while five have been highlighted in yellow.
"All five names, including that of Donald Trump, are well-recognised financial and industrial figures. The significance of the checked and highlighted names is unknown," the website added.
There is no suggestion or evidence of any wrongdoing by those named in the book.
So how much could this 'black book' be sold for?
Well, Bill Panagopulos, owner of Alexander Historical Auctions, has a prediction.
He told The Times that the book could sell for as low as $50,000 or as much as a whopping $1 million.
"Why? There is so much confidential information, so much potential for new revelations within the book, that I believe there may be someone out there who will buy it simply to make it ‘disappear’,” he told the outlet.
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, Books
Callum Jones