Leaked Emails Show Epstein Tried to Turn His Virgin Islands Into A Private Luxury Resort

Leaked messages from a Yahoo inbox suggest Jeffrey Epstein explored converting his two U.S. Virgin Islands properties into an exclusive private resort with help from a well‑connected Dubai businessman.

What the Records Show

Epstein owned Little Saint James from 1998 and purchased the neighboring Great Saint James in 2016. Locals, federal investigators and multiple accusers have long alleged that Epstein used Little Saint James to sexually abuse underage girls; he pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was later charged with sex trafficking in 2019.

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In December 2016, an email sent from an account using the address of Dubai businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem pitched a plan to the architecture firm Creative Kingdom to develop both islands as a private resort for Epstein and his clients. The message described Epstein as "a very dear friend and a business associate of mine" who "wants to develop a private resort only for his… customers and friends private use."

Mr Jeffry [sic] Epstein is very dear friend and a business associate of mine he owns two beautiful islands at US Virgin Islands he wants to develop a private resort only for his , his customers and friends private use.

There is a gap of more than two years in the leaked thread before Creative Kingdom again appears: the firm sent Epstein a "project package" with examples of resort architecture in early 2019, months before Epstein’s death in August 2019. Creative Kingdom specializes in tourism projects, including high‑end resorts in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

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Bin Sulayem, Contacts and Verification

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is the chief executive of Dubai Ports World, a logistics firm with close ties to the Emirati government. Documents and images released by investigators indicate Epstein maintained a cordial relationship with bin Sulayem, who Epstein reportedly called "the right hand of Maktoum" and photographed in his New York home. Bin Sulayem later told the Miami Herald he believed his name was used without permission when Epstein acquired Great Saint James in 2016.

The emails also show an account using bin Sulayem's address reaching out in 2014 and 2016 to arrange island visits. The records do not make clear whether those visits took place or whether bin Sulayem personally authorized the messages.

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Source, Scope and Authentication

The newly published cache was released by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit often compared to WikiLeaks. The group said it obtained roughly 20,000 emails and attachments from the jeeproject@yahoo.com inbox and shared them with journalists and researchers. Drop Site News verified some messages using cryptographic signatures, and Bloomberg previously obtained and authenticated a similar set of messages from the same account.

However, the leak does not appear to include every message sent to that inbox during the period and excludes Epstein's other email accounts and private servers—many House Oversight Committee disclosures have come from jeevacation@gmail.com and other sources.

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After Epstein

Following Epstein's death, his estate sold Little Saint James and Great Saint James to businessman Stephen Deckoff, who has said he plans to develop a "world‑class destination." Under a settlement with Epstein’s estate, the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands will receive half of the sale proceeds to support survivors of sexual abuse.

Both Dubai Ports World and Creative Kingdom did not respond to repeated requests for comment.