Christopher Helali; Hollis Johnson/Insider; Samantha Lee/Insider
- One of Jeffrey Epstein's "little black books" is for sale.
- Business Insider first reported about the 1997 address book belonging to the disgraced financier.
- The book contains entries for 349 people and reveals a snapshot of his social circle.
An address book belonging to the late sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is going up for sale.
The "little black book" — which was first revealed by Business Insider reporters — is on auction for the first time, according to Maryland auction house Alexander Historical Auctions.
"The history of this criminal relic is fascinating!" the auctioneers say on the book's listing page.
As BI reported in 2021, the book contains hundreds of names connected to Epstein's social circle dating to October 1997. A majority of the 349 people referenced in this address book are not mentioned in a later book from the aughts — one that was unearthed by the FBI as part of investigations into Epstein.
Among the names in the 1997 book are financier Carl Icahn; Donald Trump ally and supermarket mogul John A. Catsimatidis; Suzanne Ircha, the wife of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and a reportedly close friend of Melania Trump; Cristina Greeven, the wife of former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.
The book also contains names referenced in the later address book, such as Donald Trump himself and Alan Dershowitz. It also includes a listing for the White House's main information line; Bill Clinton was president at the time.
A woman in Manhattan's East Village told BI she found the book on the sidewalk and later sold it on eBay to a graduate student in Vermont. BI hired a forensic document examiner to authenticate the document as part of a monthslong investigation.
Bidding on the little black book is now live and will remain open until June 15, Alexander Historical Auctions wrote. The auctioneers said they reserve the right to reveal how much someone paid for the book, but won't disclose the buyer.
The auction house's owner, Bill Panagopulos, told the New York Post that he estimates the book could sell for $200,000 or more.
"There are NO comparables, nothing so far-reaching in its effects on politics, society, royalty, finance … it goes on and on," Panagopulos said, according to the Post.
Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from an underage girl in 2008 after getting a cushy deal from prosecutors at the time, serving just over a year in jail.
Years later, federal investigations began probing Epstein's dealings, and he was arrested in 2019 on charges of running a sex trafficking ring. Epstein was taken into custody but died in prison months later; his death was ruled a suicide, and a later Department of Justice report revealed jail officials botched security that could have prevented his death.
Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was also arrested, tried, and convicted on sex trafficking charges. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.