It sits there on one of the most expensive blocks in the world, just a few steps from Central Park. A massive, seven-story limestone fortress that looks like it belongs to a different century. Honestly, if you walked past it today, you might just see a beautiful piece of Upper East Side architecture. But 9 East 71st Street isn't just another mansion. It’s the Jeffrey Epstein NYC house, a place that became synonymous with a decade-long federal investigation and a dark chapter of New York history.
People still stop and stare. Tourists take photos. Neighbors try to look the other way.
For years, the house was a total mystery. It’s a 28,000-square-foot behemoth that was once the largest private residence in Manhattan. Now, in 2026, the building is finally entering a new era, far removed from the surveillance cameras and strange decor that once defined it.
The Herbert Straus Legacy and How Epstein Got It
Before the headlines, this was the Herbert N. Straus House. Straus was the heir to the Macy’s department store fortune. He commissioned the place in the early 1930s, hiring architect Horace Trumbauer to create a French Neo-Classical masterpiece. Ironically, Straus never even lived in it. He died before it was finished.
The building spent decades as a hospital wing and then a private school—the Birch Wathen School—before Les Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret, bought it in 1989 for $13.2 million. Wexner poured millions into a "gut renovation," basically rebuilding the interior from scratch.
The Weird Transition
You've probably heard the rumors about how Epstein ended up with the keys. In 1995, Epstein just... moved in. He started telling people it was his house. But property records are a mess. Ownership didn't officially transfer from Wexner’s trust to an Epstein-controlled entity until 2011. And the price? Zero dollars.
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That $0 transfer is one of those things that still makes people raise an eyebrow. It’s a 51,000-square-foot (depending on who you ask about the floor extensions) mansion in the middle of Lenox Hill. You don't just give that away for free.
Inside the House: Beyond the Gilded Doors
When the FBI raided the Jeffrey Epstein NYC house in July 2019, the world finally got a glimpse of what was happening behind those 15-foot oak doors. It wasn't just luxury. It was weird. Sorta unsettling, actually.
Journalist Vicky Ward and others who visited described a house that felt like a "high-walled, eclectic, imperious fantasy."
- The Hall of Eyeballs: This is the one everyone talks about. The entrance hall was reportedly lined with rows of individually framed prosthetic eyeballs, originally made for injured English soldiers.
- Taxidermy: There was a stuffed tiger in his office and a stuffed giraffe in another room.
- The "Dungeon": In her memoir Nobody's Girl, Virginia Giuffre described a room she called "The Dungeon" where she was allegedly held.
- The Office: A massive room spanning the width of the house with a desk that once belonged to J.P. Morgan.
There were cameras everywhere. Security was high-tech and constant. The vibe wasn't "cozy home"; it was "fortress of control."
The 2021 Sale and the "Spiritual" Makeover
After Epstein died in 2019, the house sat empty. It was originally listed for a staggering $88 million. Brokers called it the "best mansion in New York," but it carried a massive "stigma discount." No one wanted to buy a house of horrors for full price.
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Eventually, in March 2021, Michael Daffey, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Bitcoin investor, bought the place for $51 million.
Daffey was pretty open about his intentions. His spokesperson said he wanted to give the house a "complete makeover," both physically and spiritually. He secured a $30.6 million loan from Citigroup and went to work. He wasn't just repainting; he was stripping the place down to its bones to "eradicate all traces" of its former owner.
What’s Changed?
Recent reports from late 2025 and early 2026 show that the renovation is basically done.
- Stripped Interiors: All the weird wallpapers, custom crown moldings, and built-ins Epstein picked were ripped out.
- Structural Changes: Walls were demolished on five of the seven floors to open up the space.
- The Exterior: The facade is a landmark, so it looks mostly the same, but the small brass "J.E." initials that were reportedly on the exterior have been scrubbed off.
- Ownership Flips: Interestingly, property records show the house sold again in August 2023 for about $65.6 million. It seems the "cleansing" of the property helped its market value bounce back.
Where Did the Money Go?
This is the part that actually matters for justice. The proceeds from the $51 million sale in 2021 didn't go to Epstein's heirs. They went directly into the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program.
The fund was at a standstill for a while because it ran out of "liquidity." The sale of the New York mansion was the single biggest injection of cash that allowed the fund to resume paying out claims to survivors. By the time the estate was winding down, more than $121 million had been paid out to victims from various asset sales, including his properties in Palm Beach, New Mexico, and the Virgin Islands.
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The Reality of "Stigmatized" Real Estate
Why does the Jeffrey Epstein NYC house still matter? Because it’s a case study in how New York handles its ghosts.
Some people thought the house should be torn down, like his mansion in Palm Beach was. But in Manhattan, you can't just knock down a historic 1930s Horace Trumbauer building. It's part of the city's architectural fabric. Instead, the city "recycles" these spaces.
Wealthy buyers like Daffey bet on the fact that with enough money and a "gut reno," you can wash away the history. Today, the house is valued at roughly $67 million. It’s back to being a high-end asset, even if the shadow of 2019 still lingers for those who know the history.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you are following the history of high-profile New York real estate or researching the Epstein case, here is what you need to know:
- Public Records are Key: You can track the history of 9 East 71st Street through the NYC ACRIS (Automated City Register Information System). It shows every deed transfer since the 1960s.
- Victim Compensation: If you are looking into where the money went, the independent administrator's reports for the Epstein Victims' Compensation Program are the primary source for how those millions were distributed.
- Architectural History: If the "creep factor" is too much, you can appreciate the building's bones by looking up Horace Trumbauer’s other New York works, like the Duke Mansion (now the NYU Institute of Fine Arts).
The Jeffrey Epstein NYC house serves as a reminder that buildings have two lives: the one the architect intended, and the one the occupants create. Right now, New York is trying very hard to let the architect's version win.
To stay updated on the status of the Epstein estate and further property developments, you should monitor the New York County Surrogate's Court filings and federal updates from the Southern District of New York (SDNY).