Mark Epstein (born 1954), nicknamed "Puggy",[1] is an American property developer and the brother of financier and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Mark Epstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1954 |
| Alma mater | Cooper Union and Stony Brook University |
| Occupation | Property developer |
| Years active | 1990s to present |
| Family | Jeffrey Epstein (brother) |
A former artist, Epstein has founded and led real estate companies, a T-shirt printing business, a modelling agency and a charter company. His wealth and the source of it has been the subject of investigation by both Dow Jones Institutional News and The Wall Street Journal.
Early life and education
editMark Epstein was born in 1954 and is the younger brother of Jeffrey Epstein[2] (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019). Their parents were Pauline (née Stolofsky, 1918–2004) and Seymour G. Epstein (1916–1991) who were Jewish and had married in 1952.[3][4] The brothers grew up in the neighborhood of Sea Gate, a private gated community in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City.[5]
He is a 1976 graduate of the New York City Cooper Union art school.[2] He also studied at Stony Brook University.[6] In 2002, he was Cooper Union's Alumnus of the Year.[6]
Career
editA former artist,[7] Epstein has been a real estate investor since the 1990s. He was the president of J. Epstein & Co, his brother's investment company and an executive of Ossa Properties. He is the owner of a T-shirt printing company Izmo that he founded in 1986. He also was the head of Atelier Enterprises, a leasing and chartering company. From 1987 to 2015 he was the owner-operator of Epstein Acquisitions, and in 2005 he incorporated Saint Model and Talent.[2]
The source of Mark Epstein's wealth has been described by both Dow Jones Institutional News and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) as mysterious, after he refused to answer WSJ's journalists' questions about the source of his wealth.[2][8] The newspaper noted his ownership of the $1m luxury yacht Izmo, and a 16-story condominium that he purchased from Les Wexner in the 1990s. The building had a mortgage of $7.24 million at the time.[2] He is a six-figure donor to the art school that he studied at, Cooper Union and was the chair of the school's governing board. He donated his luxury yacht Izmo to the Marine Science and Nautical Training Academy in Charleston.[2] He also served on the board of directors of the Humpty Dumpty Institute, an international charity that he loaned over $100,000 to in 2014.[7] He also loaned $75,000 to Exit Art, a not-for-profit cultural center that he also was a board director for.[7]
Politics and personal life
editAfter his brother Jeffrey died in prison in 2019, he has publicly expressed doubt that his death was due to suicide,[9] having stated that his death "looks more like a homicide."[10] Mark was identified by court papers as Jeffrey's only potential heir.[11]
He has two children with Joyce Anderson, who he lived with in SoHo for seven years before their relationship ended. He has a home in Pennsylvania and property in West Palm Beach, Florida.[7]
References
edit- ^ Dillon, Nancy (13 Aug 2019). "Ongoing probe: FBI raids Jeffrey Epstein's private island; jail guard was a 'fill in,' source says". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
- ^ a b c d e f Morgenson, G. (12 Aug 2019). "Wealth of jeffrey epstein's brother is also a mystery; mark epstein's ties to his brother include condominiums in new york once owned by retail magnate leslie wexner". Wall Street Journal (Online). ProQuest 2271759076.
- ^ Volscho, Thomas (July 13, 2019). "Jeffrey Epstein Dodged Questions About Sex With His Dalton Prep-School Students". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ Dantus, Larry (July 6, 2019). "Pauline Epstein (Stolofsky)". Geni. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019.
- ^ Daly, Michael (July 15, 2019). "Epstein's Coney Island Days: From Math Nerd to 'Arrogant' Prick". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Cranley, E (6 Sep 2019). "Everything we know about jeffrey epstein's brother, mark, who almost inherited the financier's $500 million estate". Business Insider. ProQuest 2398615516.
- ^ a b c d Shugerman, E. (August 13, 2019). "The man who could inherit jeffrey Epstein's millions: The unexplained wealth of artist-turned-real estate magnate mark epstein, the deceased sex offender's younger brother, is likely to come under further scrutiny by the feds". Daily Beast. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ "Wealth of jeffrey epstein's brother is also a mystery". Dow Jones Institutional News. 12 Aug 2019. ProQuest 2272054899.
- ^ Shamsian, Jacob (14 March 2023). "The Justice Department investigated Jeffrey Epstein's death. Then it went silent". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
- ^ Parker, Terri (2023-06-28). "EXCLUSIVE: Epstein brother and independent medical examiner doubt suicide conclusion". WPBF. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ Levine, Barry (2020). The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. United States: Crown. p. 253. ISBN 9780593237199.
