Jeffrey Epstein. A wealthy financier who made a fortune as a hedge fund manager in the 1980s and ’90s — a man known for his lavish lifestyle and high-profile connections. And a registered sex offender accused of abusing dozens of young girls. “Victims were given cash payments if they could bring other underage girls to be similarly abused, and that’s how he continued to expand the number of new victims—” Jeffrey Epstein’s story was a decades-old saga that’s been held up as an example of how powerful, rich men avoid accountability. So who was Jeffrey Epstein? Epstein was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. In his early 20s, he taught physics and math at the Dalton School, an elite Manhattan prep school. Connections he made there got him a job at the investment bank Bear Stearns. He went on to open his own finance firm in 1982. And that’s where he amassed his fortune. His firm reportedly only accepted clients worth $1 billion or more. Epstein aimed to lead a private life. But his work managing the money of the very wealthy got him into some very high-profile social circles. He became friendly with former President Bill Clinton, and Donald J. Trump. Also, Britain’s Prince Andrew. Epstein had six residences, including an entire private island in the Caribbean, and this $56 million mansion, one of the largest private residences in Manhattan. He was indicted in July on sex trafficking charges after allegedly sexually abusing underage girls from 2002 to 2005 inside his Manhattan and Palm Beach homes. When he faced similar allegations a decade ago, federal prosecutors in Florida struck a secret plea deal with Epstein. He avoided a possible life sentence in prison and spent 13 months in a Palm Beach jail, where he was allowed to leave for work six days a week. That 2008 plea deal was negotiated in part by Alexander Acosta, who was the top federal prosecutor in Miami. He would go on to be Trump’s labor secretary and resigned when the Epstein case came into the spotlight. Epstein, who was facing up to 45 years in prison for the recent charges, committed suicide at a Manhattan jail. He was 66 years old.