Why Jeffrey Epstein Tried to Give $100 Million to a Belarusian Dent Just Days Before His Death
This undated photo released the US Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. (US Department of Justice via AP)
Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who once had a large estate valued at $600 million, signed a document two days prior to his death in 2019 that gave away much of his fortune to his girlfriend at the time, the documents recently released the US Justice Department show.
According to documents, Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender, had said that he contemplated marrying his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, who became the beneficiary of Epstein’s estate after he signed the document that gave away much of his once vast fortune, the New York Times reported.
A copy of the 32-page document, known as the 1953 Trust, was released the Justice Department last month when more than three million pages of investigative files about Epstein were revealed.
Documents that were included in the US Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed. (AP Photo/ File)
However, it remains unclear about how much Shuliak and 40 other people mentioned in the document as potential beneficiaries would receive from Epstein’s estate, which has reduced significantly in the past seven years after paying lawyers fees, taxes and restitutions to victims.
At the time of his death, Epstein’s estate was valued at around $600 million. But in a recent court filing, the estate’s value plunged sharply to $120 million.Story continues below this ad
Who gets what from Epstein’s trust
The trust, which has been named after Epstein’s birth year, has never been made public before. The convicted paedophile’s then girlfriend Shuliak, 36, is projected to receive $100 million and it includes a $50 million annuity that is slated to be set up for her benefit.
The documents also state that she would receive much of Epstein’s property but the estate has sold most of the residences owned the disgraced financier.
The two other beneficiaries led in the documents who have a share in the deceased sex offender’s trust are Epstein’s personal lawyer Darren Indyke and his in-house accountant, Richard Kahn.
Both Indyke and Kahn are co-executors of Epstein’s estate. The trust is poised to provide $50 million to Indyke and $25 million to Kahn.Story continues below this ad
Who is Epstein’s girlfriend Karyna Shuliak
In the documents released the Justice Department, Shuliak has been named several times her name. A native of Belarus, documents revealed that Shuliak knew Epstein since 2012 and that the disgraced financier paid for her to go to dental school. Currently, she reportedly resides in New York City.
Daniel Weiner, who is a lawyer for Epstein’s estate, has said that neither Kahn, nor Indyke or any other beneficiaries mentioned in the documents “will receive any money from that estate unless and until all creditors and claims on the estate have first been satisfied in full, including claims for compensation made women who suffered abuse at Mr. Epstein’s hands,” NYT reported.
