In this special episode of Forbes Talks, reporters John Hyatt and Giacomo Tognini break down the key findings from their investigation into how Jeffrey Epstein really got rich. Backed by public financial records and court documents, they reveal how Epstein generated over $800 million in revenue, largely from just two billionaire clients. They also explore Epstein’s use of the US Virgin Islands tax program to legally pay just 4% in taxes, saving an estimated $300 million.<br /><br />The episode dives into his close financial ties with Les Wexner and Leon Black, how much they paid him, and what services he actually provided. Plus, they discuss new revelations about Epstein’s transactions and the Senate’s efforts to uncover where his money really came from. It’s a rare, in-depth look at the numbers behind the headlines—and how wealth, power, and secrecy protected Epstein for so long.<br /><br />Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2025/07/25/how-jeffrey-epstein-got-so-rich/<br /><br />00:00 – Intro: How Rich Was Jeffrey Epstein?<br />01:00 – Overview of Epstein’s Net Worth and Business Entities<br />03:00 – Les Wexner: Epstein’s First Anchor Client<br />05:30 – Leon Black: The Second Major Backer<br />08:00 – What Happened After Epstein Lost Wexner<br />10:00 – Rebuilding Through Leon Black’s Payments<br />13:00 – $170M in Client Fees: Too Much for Tax Advice?<br />15:00 – Charities, Loans, and Epstein’s PR Rehabilitation<br />17:00 – The US Virgin Islands Tax Shelter Strategy<br />21:00 – Epstein’s 4% Effective Tax Rate<br />23:00 – How Epstein Maintained the Illusion of a Billionaire<br />25:00 – The Power of Wealth and Elite Blindness<br />28:00 – 4,700 Transactions and a $1.9 Billion Mystery<br />30:30 – Final Thoughts and Ongoing Investigations<br /><br />Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:<br /><br />https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript<br /><br />Stay Connected<br />Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com<br />Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes<br />More From Forbes: http://forbes.com<br /><br />Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.
