Donald Trump's old friend Jeffrey Epstein lived in ‘fear’ when he was President, claims author Michael Wolff
Author Michael Wolff, who conducted extensive interviews with Jeffrey Epstein revealed that the disgraced financier lived in “fear” of his former friend Donald Trump during the latter's presidency.
Wolff, who previously included Epstein as a source in his best-selling book Fire and Fury, disclosed these insights shortly before the 2024 presidential election.
Epstein, a multimillionaire convicted sex offender, died in a federal jail cell in August 2019, just weeks after his arrest on child sex-trafficking charges.
Wolff, who has broken years of silence on the topic, alleged that Epstein showed him photos of Trump with topless young women in his lap during their interviews. These conversations, recorded over an estimated 100 hours, provided a glimpse into Epstein's complex relationship with Trump.
Wolff stated on his podcast, Fire and Fury, that Epstein expressed disbelief over Trump's election to the presidency, describing him as “utterly preoccupied” with Trump and “afraid of him.” The author noted that their relationship dated back to the late 1980s, with both men bonding and competing over wealth and women. “I think Epstein saw Trump as essentially Bush League,” Wolff said, highlighting their shared lifestyle as “playboys.”
Wolff recounted how both men “shared” the same girlfriend at one point, describing a culture of “sexual excess and license” prevalent among wealthy individuals like Trump and Epstein. However, Wolff claimed Epstein came to believe that Trump was behind law enforcement's investigation into him in 2005, suggesting that Trump was aware of Epstein's activities with underage girls due to his frequent presence in Epstein's world.
The fallout between the two men occurred in 2004 when Epstein expressed interest in purchasing the Maison de L’Amitie estate next to Mar-a-Lago. According to Wolff, Trump went behind Epstein's back to bid on the property, resulting in significant tension. Wolff recounted Epstein saying he became “really, really, really p---ed” and began threatening lawsuits and press exposure, leading to his legal troubles.
During their 2017 interviews, Wolff noted that Epstein exhibited genuine fear of Trump, particularly with him as president. “But I couldn’t help but feeling that there was a level of personal fear there,” Wolff remarked. He also stated that several people close to Epstein corroborated this sentiment, with Epstein believing Trump was capable of anything due to his lack of scruples.
Jeff Epstein never followed through on his threats to expose the big fella. He was found dead in his federal prison cell, all surveillance footage deleted. Photos in his safe were seized by the FBI, and remain classified.
The big fella was unavailable for comment.