I Saw How Epstein Literally Made People Into Pawns: Author

Convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein viewed the people in his life as pawns—and had the custom chess set to prove it.

In an interview with Joanna Coles for The Daily Beast Podcast, author Michael Wolff revealed that the disgraced financier had on display in his home a chess set where each of the pieces represented a different member of his household. Naturally, Epstein was the king.

The carved pieces were recognizable, Wolff explains; a 2019 article from The New York Times quoted a visitor to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse making note of “a chessboard with custom figurines, many dressed suggestively‚” adding that at least one piece was based on one of Epstein’s employees.

The role of the Queen was reserved for Epstein’s girlfriend “of a number of years,” Wolff explains, about whom the public knows virtually nothing, though he did share that she would have been no older than 24.

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Describing a dinner he and his wife attended in Paris with Epstein and his mystery girlfriend, Wolff said, “My wife found this especially disconcerting because she didn’t talk... the whole dinner absolutely silent.”

”Although, curiously, he sent her to dental school,” Wolff added.

The pawns all depicted Epstein’s houseman Jojo, whose wife Jun-Lyn Fontanilla worked for Epstein as a housekeeper. Photos found on Jun-Lyn’s Facebook account show the couple with powerful men like Prince Andrew and former President Bill Clinton, both of whom have attempted to downplay their relationship with Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein's former Upper East Side home was one of the largest private homes in Manhattan. / Jeenah Moon/Reuters

Other figures on the chessboard were women who worked for Epstein, including his longtime appointment secretary.

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According to Wolff, the chessboard could be found in Epstein’s 21,000 square-foot Upper East Side townhouse, in a seating area above which hung a life-sized female doll from a chandelier.

Wolff has said of Epstein’s home, “It’s hard to describe the effect that it has on you. It reminds you of the kind of baronial rich man’s house that you might see in a movie about a rich man in New York.”

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania were longtime friends of Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. / Davidoff Studios/Getty Images

A recent report from The New York Times features never-before-seen images from inside Epstein’s home, including a gallery of framed photos of Epstein with world leaders including President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, former President Bill Clinton and former Cuban president Fidel Castro, as well as men like Virgin founder Richard Branson, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and world’s richest man Elon Musk.

Other oddities found in Epstein’s abode include a taxidermy tiger—the kindred spirit of a stuffed baby elephant found in Epstein’s Paris apartment—as well as a mural depicting himself in a prison yard, and a suggestive painting of President Bill Clinton in heels and a blue dress.

'Parsing Bill' by Petrina Ryan-Kleid was on display in Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. / Petrina Ryan-Kleid

Wolff also confirmed reports that Epstein was not the greatest host; he reportedly had to be coached by Woody Allen’s wife Soon-Yi Previn to learn how to provide enough food for visiting guests.

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“That was always the case: that there was either too much food, [or] not enough food,” Wolff said. “Everything was off... If you wanted a drink, forget about it.”

”He didn’t drink, so that was, at best, an afterthought,” Wolff added. ”If something was produced, you got half a glass of wine, and no refills.”