Who is taking care of Jeffrey Epstein’s island? Everything we know
Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019, and the fate of his private island has shifted from vague limbo to concrete ownership changes. Little St. James, long known by its darker nicknames, remains off-limits to the public even as new details surface about who controls it now and what comes next.
New footage
Andy Bracco recorded his visits to the island in August 2020. His roughly six-and-a-half-minute video intercuts brief new drone and ground shots with older clips of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The new material stays limited, and the pacing keeps viewers watching through unrelated segments to reach the island footage. The video has resurfaced in later coverage without any confirmed follow-up releases from Bracco after 2021.
A closer look
Bracco’s drone shots captured the layout of roads and buildings more clearly than earlier images. He and his companion reached the blue-striped structure that drew public attention, leaning a camera against a window to reveal an empty concrete interior with only a trash can visible. The same visit included footage on a large sundial. Later official photographs released in 2025 show interior spaces not captured in the 2020 footage, while records confirm the structure was permitted as a music pavilion yet built without windows in a box shape. The gold dome reportedly disappeared after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Who is guarding it?
Bracco and his companion left quickly on their first visit after sensing they had drawn attention. A reporter attempting to dock around the same period was turned away before stepping off her boat. Security has continued under the new owner, with trespassers reporting automated public-address announcements and occasional Coast Guard presence. The island stays fully private property with no public access.
Bracco’s warning
Bracco included a clear disclaimer in the video description stating he does not want to encourage others to attempt the same visit. He has repeated similar cautions in later comments, noting infrared cameras and the need for months of local planning. The original quote about governing bodies tightening security after his visits remains part of the record.
We might get more?
Bracco teased additional clips at the time, yet no substantial follow-up explorer footage has appeared. The most recent visual material instead came from the December 2025 House Oversight Committee release of 2020 inspection photographs and videos showing bedrooms, a pool cabana, artwork, and a room containing a dentist’s chair.
Current Ownership and Development Plans
In May 2023 the two islands were sold for sixty million dollars to Stephen Deckoff through SD Investments. Plans called for a twenty-five-room luxury resort with a 2025 opening target. As of early 2026 no major resort construction has begun. The only permit application on file covers an eight-thousand-eight-hundred-square-foot warehouse. A portion of the sale proceeds went to the U.S. Virgin Islands government under an earlier settlement tied to victim support services.
Official 2025 Document and Photo Releases
The December 2025 release from House Oversight Democrats contained ten photographs and videos drawn from the 2020 U.S. Virgin Islands authorities’ inspection. The images document interior conditions across multiple structures, offering views of private rooms and common areas that were not part of Bracco’s drone or ground footage. These materials provide an official visual record separate from amateur exploration.
The Blue-Striped Building: Purpose and Speculation
Original permits listed the structure as a music pavilion, yet the finished building diverged sharply with its windowless box form. Reporting from 2026 noted Epstein’s reported intention to use the space as a mosque, complete with imported tapestries, gardens, and tiles. The missing gold dome, attributed to Hurricane Maria, altered the exterior appearance before Bracco’s visit. The 2025 official photographs do not include interior shots of this particular building, leaving its current condition documented mainly through the earlier amateur footage.
Ongoing Public Interest and Media Resurgences
Bracco’s 2020 video has been referenced in coverage through 2026, especially alongside new file releases. Other creators have posted island-related content on social platforms during the same period. The property itself continues to deter visitors through active security measures, and no legal public access has been granted under current ownership.
The island’s status has moved from speculation about government seizure to documented private ownership and stalled development. Official photographs now supplement the limited explorer footage that first drew renewed attention, while security remains in place to keep the property closed.
