In the days leading up to his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, financier Jeffrey Epstein attempted to purchase a luxury property in Morocco, according to multiple reports. The property in question was a palace in Marrakech owned by German waste management magnate Gunter Kiss.
Reports from outlets including the New York Post and Business Insider, citing sources familiar with the matter, state that Epstein viewed the property as overvalued at an asking price of $55 million. His initial offer was reportedly so low that it offended Kiss, leading the German businessman to refuse further dealings with Epstein.
Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. He died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial. The attempted property transaction highlights the disgraced financier's activities and international connections in the final days before his arrest.
The details of this real estate negotiation were reported in 2021 based on disclosures from a French former model who worked as a fixer for Epstein. The information adds to the documented record of Epstein's financial maneuvers and lifestyle prior to the legal proceedings against him.
