Epstein Victims Awarded $121M From Private Compensation Fund

A private fund created to compensate the sexual assault victims of late serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein announced Monday that it is paying out over $121 million to about 132 victims.

The fund's administrator, Jordana Feldman, said the $121 million figure was far more than the fund was expecting. Feldman also said she expected claims from about 100 victims but 225 ended up coming forward.

“This important, independent Program allowed victims/survivors who were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein to resolve their claims outside of court through a voluntary, confidential, fair, empathetic and expeditious process – beyond the glare of public proceedings and without the costs and confrontation of litigation. Every claimant had an opportunity to be heard in a safe space, to share the intimate, personal, often harrowing accounts of what they endured and how it has affected them,” Feldman said in the press release.

Epstein, a wealthy businessman, was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. In August 2019, he was found dead in his New York jail cell.

The estate had previously faced civil lawsuits from more than 30 women who alleged they were sexually abused by Epstein.

The program confidentially interviewed the claimants who spoke of being involved in the sexual crimes. “I was continually struck by the resilience and courage of the victims who put their faith and trust in this process," said Feldman.

Attorney David Boies represented nine women who received payments. He said the monetary amounts ranged from a “few hundred thousand dollars to several million dollars," according to the New York Times.

The funds were processed before the second anniversary of his death.