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Billionaire buys Jeffrey E. Epstein's private islands in USVI for $60M

Little Saint James is located southeast of neighboring Great Saint James, both off the southern coast of the larger St. Thomas island and belonging to the subdistrict East End, St. Thomas USVI. Photo: VIC
Two private islands in the Caribbean, called Little St. James and Great St. James, that once belonged to Jeffrey Epstein first hit the market last March with an asking price of $125 million. Photo: Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images; REUTERS/Marco Bello
Two private islands in the Caribbean, called Little St. James and Great St. James, that once belonged to Jeffrey Epstein first hit the market last March with an asking price of $125 million. Photo: Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images; REUTERS/Marco Bello
VI CONSORTIUM

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, St Thomas, USVI- Investment firm SD Investments LLC, led by entrepreneur and investor Stephen H. Deckoff, announced on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, the acquisition of Great St James and Little St James islands in the US Virgin Islands — formerly owned by disgraced financier Jeffrey E. Epstein.

Mr Deckoff plans to build a world-class luxury resort to help boost tourism, create jobs, and stimulate economic development in the region while respecting the islands' environment.

Mr Deckoff, who is the founder and managing principal of Black Diamond Capital Management, has a proven track record of turning distressed situations into successful enterprises across multiple industries, according to the release. He has been a resident of the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2011 and has supported the area's economic development, particularly after the hurricanes in 2017 that shuttered several of the territories' resorts and businesses.

In a statement, Mr Deckoff said, "There is simply no place in the world as special as the US Virgin Islands, and I am humbled by the opportunity to share its splendor with visitors in a manner that will provide economic benefits to the region while respecting its culture, history, and natural beauty."

The resort is expected to feature 25 rooms and open its doors to guests in 2025. Mr Deckoff is currently in the process of retaining architects and engineers to develop the project. The sale of the islands was previously owned by the late Jeffrey E. Epstein, and a significant portion of the sale proceeds will be paid to the Government of the US Virgin Islands under a previously announced settlement agreement with Mr Epstein's estate.

The acquisition of the islands and the development of the luxury resort are expected to provide a much-needed boost to the tourism industry in the US Virgin Islands and create job opportunities for locals, according to the release. The project is also expected to stimulate economic growth in the region, making it an exciting development for the islands and the local community.

8 Responses to “Billionaire buys Jeffrey E. Epstein's private islands in USVI for $60M”

  • Asking For Myself (03/05/2023, 19:18) Like (2) Dislike (9) Reply
    Can I still have my private party there?
    • Madussa (04/05/2023, 03:43) Like (17) Dislike (1) Reply
      So are you the next Pedo Island partner? You do know evils done to underaged girls were performed there by the wealthy from all parts of the globe, so your statement is not funny, but psychologically scary. I hope the USVI government monitors what is going on over there so we don't have a repeat of Satan's Playground.
    • Arrion (04/05/2023, 03:48) Like (27) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ Asking For Myself. If you have to ask, you can't afford it.
    • Facts 101 (04/05/2023, 09:01) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      If you have to ask the price tag, you simply cannot afford it. Saw a pair of shoes in the window of a store with no price tag, went inside and asked the price of the shoes and they were $600.00. Could not afford the shoes.
  • rebrand (04/05/2023, 08:59) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's gonna take way more than $60 million to overcome the devil's sex scandals on these 2 islands.
  • Disney Land (04/05/2023, 14:20) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Pedo resort
  • Fch (05/05/2023, 13:11) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Ah U sure that man died
  • Arrion (06/05/2023, 00:35) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    As an Investor, I would never have bought those islands with such a bad stigma to them because people will always be thinking of what it was and pass on renting there for vacations. The Devil's Playground is still on people's minds.


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