Jeffrey Epstein ultimately left the bulk of his estate to a private trust whose detailed terms were initially secret, but newly released documents show who he intended to benefit from that money.

Quick Scoop: Who Did Epstein Leave His Estate To?

Epstein signed a will two days before his death in August 2019 that moved all his assets — then estimated at about 577–600 million dollars — into a private vehicle called “The 1953 Trust.” For years, that structure meant the specific beneficiaries were hidden from the public, even as victims sued the estate and a substantial portion of the assets was set aside for settlements.

More recent disclosures by U.S. authorities and reporting in early 2026 have revealed who he intended to inherit most of what was left once the trust paid expenses and claims.

Main Intended Beneficiaries

According to documents now unsealed and media reports, Epstein’s trust laid out a detailed distribution plan:

  • Karyna Shuliak (his then‑girlfriend)
    • Planned to receive a total of about 100 million dollars, including a 50‑million annuity.
* Was also supposed to receive much of his real estate, including: his New Mexico Zorro Ranch, his two private islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands (Little Saint James and Great Saint James), his Paris apartment, his Palm Beach home, and his Manhattan townhouse.
  • Darren Indyke (long‑time lawyer)
    • Designated to receive around 50 million dollars.
* Also named as a co‑executor of the estate.
  • Richard Kahn (accountant)
    • Intended to receive about 25 million dollars.
* Served as co‑executor alongside Indyke.
  • Mark Epstein (brother)
    • Listed to receive about 10 million dollars.
  • Ghislaine Maxwell
    • Also listed for roughly 10 million dollars as a beneficiary in the trust documents.
  • Martin Nowak (Harvard mathematics professor)
    • Intended to receive about 5 million dollars.

In total, the trust reportedly named around 40 beneficiaries, most of whose identities remain redacted in the released files.

What Actually Happened to the Money?

While those were Epstein’s intended heirs on paper, the reality is more complicated:

  • After years of litigation, victim-compensation programs, and asset sales, the estate’s value has reportedly fallen from roughly 600 million dollars to around 120–130 million dollars.
  • A substantial share of the assets was diverted to settle lawsuits brought by survivors of Epstein’s abuse and related civil claims, and that process is still not fully resolved in the U.S. Virgin Islands probate courts.
  • Because of these claims and ongoing legal actions, there is not enough left in the estate to fully fund all bequests set out in the trust, so the listed beneficiaries may receive far less than the nominal figures — or, in some cases, potentially nothing.

In other words, to answer “who did Epstein leave his estate to”: on paper, he left it mainly to Karyna Shuliak, his lawyer Darren Indyke, his accountant Richard Kahn, his brother Mark, Ghislaine Maxwell, and a circle of friends and associates such as Martin Nowak, all funneled through “The 1953 Trust.” In practice, however, victims’ claims and court‑supervised settlements have consumed a large portion of that estate, and the final distributions to those named beneficiaries remain significantly reduced and still partially tied up in court as of early 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.