Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s “Little Black Book” of contacts has gone up for auction, where it is expected to fetch upwards of $200,000.
The convicted pedophile kept names, phone numbers and addresses of multiple high-profile people contained in the book, such as former president Donald Trump, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and attorney Alan Dershowitz.
Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. His former girlfriend and associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of similar charges and sentenced to 20 years behind bars in June 2022.
Details of many of Epstein’s associates were revealed in unsealed criminal documents earlier this year.
However, Alexander Historical Auctions, which is organizing the sale of the book, says that it contains the information of 221 people not previously included in another 2004 copy, used as evidence against Epstein by the FBI.
The 64-page address book, dated by a forensic document examiner to be from around 1997, lists 349 people in total. Bidding began on Wednesday and will last for one month.
According to the item description on the company’s website, the book measures 4.5 x 5.25 inches and is bound in black plastic. The entries are printed reproductions, “likely reduced in size to accommodate this rather small binding.”
Some of the names, the site notes, bear “black, hand-applied checkmarks, and five have been highlighted in yellow”. All five names, including that of Mr Trump, are “well-recognized financial and industrial figures”. The significance of the checked and highlighted names is unknown.
It also contains “a good deal of information hinting at Epstein’s sordid past”, the website states.
Bill Panagopulos, owner of Alexander Historical Auctions, told The New York Post that despite the dark associations with Epstein there has been great interest in the sale.
“As far as I know, Mr. Epstein’s estate is in no way involved in any manner,” Mr Panagopulos told the outlet. “As for the proceeds of the sale, I can say with a great deal of confidence that they will be going to a party that does not, nor ever did have any connection with Mr Epstein or anyone named in the book.”
He previously told The Post the book could be sold for $200,000 or more, but that its unique history and contents would make the outcome unpredictable.
According to Alexander’s the book on sale was discovered lying on a Fifth Avenue sidewalk in the mid-1990s by a musician living in Manhattan.
The woman put the book into storage and it was not until 2020 while cleaning out her storage unit that she realized it belonged to Epstein. She reached out to several media outlets who failed to react. The book was later listed on eBay where it was purchased by a graduate student in the Northeast of the US who had possessed it ever since.
Alexander’s noted interested bidders can come to its Maryland office to inspect the book after submitting a two-day notice. Private bidding is open until 15 June. The identity of all bidders will remain anonymous, the auctioneer said.
Should the seller not accept the highest bid tendered, the book will be offered at a public auction in July.
