Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich is the Netflix docuseries, adapted from the book written by the author James Patterson. Filthy Rich: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein, was published in 2016. It provides a detailed expose of one of the most influential figures of modern American high society.
Jeffrey Epstein was one of the most talked-about people of 2019 and was, without doubt, one of the most mysterious people of modern times. This is a man who had unbelievable wealth and power. But why and how did he get there? He started at humble beginnings and by hook or by crook, he somehow leveraged his way to the absolute top of American society.
This socialite had everything – private jets, helicopters, multiple mansions, more money than most countries, and his own private island. Even his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, was a well-established socialite with strong Royal connections. Sitting on top of the capitalist tree meant that Epstein and Maxwell rubbed shoulders with the most powerful people in society. However, all was not what it appeared.
Epstein and Maxwell had a reputation for always hosting parties with lots of young girls. Then in 2005, the Palm Beach Police Department received a phone call reporting that a 14-year-old girl had been paid $300 to massage Epstein undressed. What followed was one of the most unbelievable sex scandals in history.
As the layers were pulled back they revealed a highly organised pyramid scheme. This involved thousands of young girls and most of them under the legal age. On top of this, it came out that many of these victims were being trafficked for influential people. But somehow Epstein was able to stay above the law for many years.
And this is where it gets interesting because what was clear was that it was not just Epstein's money that kept him from being brought to justice. Quite clearly his influential friends were able to lean on people high up in the FBI and the prosecution service. Time after time the investigations on Epstein were shut down. Even when he was convicted for prostituting a girl under the age of eighteen in 2008, he had a relatively free and normal life.
That was until 2019 when he was eventually convicted and put in prison for sex trafficking. Shortly after that, he was found in his prison cell hanging from the bed resulting in his death under extremely suspicious circumstances.
So does Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich live up to the expectations? Well, it does lift the lid on the extremely long history of cases. There are very revealing interviews and first-hand accounts from many of the girls who were victims. On top of this, the information provided by those who spent years trying to get justice confirms Epstein's influential power which is bordering on scary.
However, even though the documentary provides a detailed look at the activities of Epstein and Maxwell, there are still very few answers given in the end. In fact, there are a lot of suggestions made but with no conclusive closure.
All in all, I would say that if you know very little about the backstory, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich will clarify just how evil this man was. It certainly provides a great deal of shock value that keeps you watching throughout. But, the downside is that if you have already looked into this horrific story, then the chances are that this documentary will not reveal anything new and possibly be a little frustrating at the end.
