Early Life and Rise

• 1988: Jeffrey Epstein, a former teacher and Bear Stearns employee, founds his financial management firm, J. Epstein & Co. He begins to cultivate a network of wealthy and powerful clients and associates.
• 1992: Epstein purchases Little St. James, a 75-acre private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which would later be dubbed "Pedophile Island" by locals and become central to allegations of sexual abuse.
• 1996: Virginia Roberts (later Giuffre) alleges she was recruited at age 14 by Ghislaine Maxwell to work for Epstein while she was a locker-room attendant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

First Investigation and Plea Deal (2005-2009)

• July 2002: A profile of Epstein in New York Magazine highlights his enigmatic wealth and powerful connections. In the article, Donald Trump is quoted saying:

  "I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

• October 2005: The Palm Beach Police Department begins investigating Epstein after a parent reports that he sexually assaulted their 14-year-old daughter. The investigation quickly identifies dozens of other potential underage victims.
• February 2006: The FBI opens a federal investigation into Epstein for sex trafficking.
• October 30, 2007: A controversial non-prosecution agreement (NPA) is finalized by the office of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alexander Acosta. The secret deal grants federal immunity from prosecution to Epstein and any named or unnamed "potential co-conspirators."
• June 30, 2008: Under the terms of the NPA, Epstein pleads guilty to two state-level prostitution charges in Florida, one involving a minor. He is registered as a sex offender.
• July 1, 2008: He begins a 13-month sentence in a Palm Beach county jail. He is granted a generous work-release arrangement, allowing him to leave the jail for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week.
• July 2009: Epstein is released from jail after serving 13 months.

Civil Lawsuits and Renewed Scrutiny (2015-2019)

• 2015: Virginia Giuffre files a civil defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell. Depositions and documents from this case would become a crucial source of information years later.
• May 2016: Some documents from the Giuffre v. Maxwell lawsuit are unsealed. In a deposition, another accuser, Johanna Sjoberg, testified under oath about an incident on Epstein's private plane. She stated that while flying to New York, Epstein suggested they call Trump. The plane was diverted to Atlantic City, and Sjoberg testified they visited one of Trump's casinos.
• November 2018: The Miami Herald publishes an investigative series, "Perversion of Justice," detailing the lenient 2008 plea deal and the secret non-prosecution agreement, bringing the case back into the national spotlight.
• February 2019: A federal judge rules that prosecutors, led by then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, violated the rights of Epstein's victims by keeping the NPA secret from them.

Federal Arrest, Death, and Aftermath (2019-Present)

• July 6, 2019: Jeffrey Epstein is arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and taken into federal custody. He is charged by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
• July 23, 2019: Epstein is found semi-conscious in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan with injuries to his neck. He is placed on suicide watch, which is later lifted.
• August 10, 2019: Epstein is found unresponsive in his cell. The New York City medical examiner rules his death a suicide by hanging.
• August 29, 2019: The criminal charges against Epstein are officially dismissed due to his death, though prosecutors vow to pursue any co-conspirators.
• July 2, 2020: Ghislaine Maxwell is arrested by the FBI in New Hampshire and charged with multiple federal crimes related to trafficking and abusing minors for Epstein.
• December 29, 2021: A jury finds Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on five of six counts, including sex trafficking of a minor.
• June 28, 2022: Ghislaine Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
• January 2024: A federal judge orders the unsealing of hundreds of documents from the 2015 Giuffre v. Maxwell lawsuit. The documents mention numerous prominent individuals, including Donald Trump. His name appears in contexts such as flight logs for Epstein's private jet and in deposition testimony referencing his social acquaintance with Epstein, primarily at Mar-a-Lago and Atlantic City.