The planned transformation of Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious Caribbean hideaway into a five-star luxury resort has hit a wall — and locals are baffled.
Private-equity billionaire Stephen Deckoff purchased both Little St. James and Great St. James from Epstein’s estate in 2023, promising to turn the infamous islands into a “world-class holiday destination” by 2025. But nearly two years later, not a single bulldozer has touched the sand.
“Nothing has really happened on either one of those islands. We haven’t seen anything going up at all,” a local boat operator told us. “It’s strange. With everything they promised, you’d expect some kind of progress.”
Little St. James — once dubbed “Pedophile Island” and, by survivors, “Orgy Island” — became infamous as the site where Epstein allegedly trafficked and abused underage girls. According to court filings, the property served as a “haven for sexual servitude, child abuse, and assault,” hiding victims from public scrutiny and federal authorities.
Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most vocal accusers, claimed she was forced into sexual encounters on the island at just 17 years old. She also alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew, who has vehemently denied ever setting foot on the island.
Satellite images taken as recently as last month show the islands remain untouched since Epstein’s death in 2019, when the disgraced financier was found hanged in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
Deckoff, whose net worth is estimated at $3 billion, announced through his firm SD Investments that he planned to “develop a five-star, world-class, luxury 25-room resort” that would “bolster tourism, create jobs, and spur economic development in the region.”
The vision was bold: eco-friendly villas, private yacht docks, and a new image for a location synonymous with one of America’s darkest scandals.
“We intend to work closely with the Virgin Islands government to make this dream a reality,” Deckoff said in his 2023 press release.
However, officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands told us no planning applications have been submitted for either island.
“Any development would require environmental and structural review,” a spokesperson confirmed. “So far, we haven’t received anything.”
Tour companies operating around the area say they’ve seen zero construction and no crews entering or leaving the islands.
“I’m out there almost every day,” said another charter boat captain. “If there was even a single truck moving materials, I’d know about it. There’s nothing.”
While Deckoff has remained largely silent since the initial announcement, insiders speculate the billionaire may be facing community resistance, legal hurdles tied to Epstein’s estate, or even a potential branding nightmare.
The Epstein name still casts a long shadow, and many locals — as well as survivors — are deeply uncomfortable with the idea of turning a site tied to sex trafficking and abuse into a luxury playground for the wealthy.
“People will never forget what happened there,” a local activist told us. “You can plant palm trees and build infinity pools, but the ghosts of that island aren’t going away.”
For now, the so-called “resort revival” appears stalled indefinitely. Whether Deckoff pushes forward, abandons the plan, or faces mounting public backlash, one thing is clear:
Little St. James is still defined by Epstein’s crimes — not by Deckoff’s dreams.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.