A suicide note purportedly written by disgraced financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has been made public for the first time since his death in 2019. The note was unsealed by a federal judge on Wednesday, May 6, following a petition by The New York Times.
Contents of the note
According to The New York Times, the note reads: "They investigated me for months - FOUND NOTHING!!!" It continues: "It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do - Bust out cryin!!" The note concludes with "NO FUN", underlined, followed by "NOT WORTH IT!!" It bears no signature.
Background of Epstein's death
The note was reportedly discovered after Epstein's first unsuccessful suicide attempt in July 2019. Just two weeks later, he made another attempt that proved fatal. He died by suicide in his cell on August 10, 2019, at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York City, aged 66.
A report by the US Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) stated that Epstein was found "with an orange cloth around his neck" and "friction marks" on his neck during the July 2019 attempt. His cellmate informed officers that Epstein had tried to hang himself.
The convicted child sex offender was discovered unresponsive in his prison cell at 6:30 a.m. by guards at the New York jail, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Guards found him hanging off the side of his bed and attempted CPR before he was rushed to a nearby hospital in cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 6:39 a.m., nine minutes after being found unresponsive. Both the New York City medical examiner and the Justice Department Inspector General concluded that Epstein's death was a suicide by hanging.
Despite being placed on suicide watch after his first attempt, Epstein had denied having any suicidal intentions.
Unsealing of the note
The note was unsealed after The New York Times published a story revealing its existence. The newspaper successfully petitioned the court in White Plains, New York, leading to the document's public release on Wednesday.
Epstein's cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, discovered the note after the failed attempt, and it subsequently became part of his own criminal case.
Epstein's arrest and the Epstein Files
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on multiple sex-trafficking charges relating to alleged incidents between 2002 and 2005, with some charges involving the sexual abuse of underage girls as young as 14.
Seven years after his death, Epstein remains a significant figure due to the ongoing release of the Epstein Files, an unsealed collection of thousands of photographs, documents, emails, letters, and other materials. The first of five batches was made public in 2024, revealing many high-profile individuals linked to his social and business circle.
Notable names include US President Donald Trump, former Presidents Bill Clinton, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, the Dalai Lama, Michael Jackson, Naomi Campbell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Spacey, David Copperfield, Bruce Willis, Cameron Diaz, Cate Blanchett, Prince Andrew, and British diplomat Lord Peter Mandelson. Being mentioned in the Epstein Files does not imply wrongdoing, and some have disputed their connections to Epstein.
Lord Mandelson, former UK ambassador to the US, was arrested in February 2026 as part of a misconduct investigation relating to his connections with Epstein. He was later released on bail while further enquiries continue.
Recent reports have highlighted the connections between Epstein and two prominent British figures: Prince Andrew and Lord Mandelson. It emerged that they were introduced at a lunch at Buckingham Palace focused on preventing child cruelty in 1999, just weeks before they were photographed in bathrobes alongside Epstein. Prince Andrew served as chairman of the NSPCC's Full Stop campaign, while Mandelson was vice-chairman. Both have been alleged to have provided Epstein with privileged information from the UK Government.
