Jeffrey Epstein: The rise and fall of disgraced billionaire involved in Prince Andrew sex claims

BEFORE being convicted as a sex offender, the billionaire playboy at the centre of the latest royal sex scandal lived the life of a modern-day Gatsby.

Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach mansion in Florida.

THE former friend of Prince Andrew accused of “gifting” the royal a teenage girl he kept as his sex slave has been dubbed to a modern day “Gatsby” figure with a sordid past.

Disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein went from Brooklyn battler to Wall Street tycoon to convicted sex offender in a rapid rise and fall.

In the latest allegations against the convicted paedophile, it’s been claimed he forced Australian mother Virginia Roberts, now 31, to have sex with prominent public figures while keeping her captive as a “sex slave” for four years.News_Image_File: Virginia Roberts photographed with Prince Andrew in early 2001, when she claims she was a ‘sex slave’ of Jeffrey Epstein.

The American billionaire came from humble beginnings, introduced to the world of banking while working as a maths teacher in Brooklyn in the 1970s.

The budding investment banker started out with firm Bear Stearns where he quickly rose through the ranks before successfully branching out on his own in 1982, privately managing some of America’s wealthiest investment portfolios.

Epstein quickly became a self-made billionaire, a product of the ‘80s banking boom.

His true worth remains unknown with much of his fortune believed to be hidden in an island tax haven. But Epstein’s private jet, multiple homes and powerful friends indicate he did all right working his way up from the trading floor.

News_Image_File: General views of Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St James, part of the US Virgin Islands in March, 2011.

As his fortune grew, Epstein amassed an impressive property portfolio including a ranch in New Mexico, a Palm Beach mansion, the largest residential property in Manhattan and his own private Caribbean island.

The billionaire’s influence also attracted a network of powerful figures. Clients and friends included celebrities, politicians, even royalty.

Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Kevin Spacey have reportedly been guests on Epstein’s Boeing 727.

On the guest lists of his extravagant parties would be names like supermodel Naomi Campbell and media tycoon Robert Maxwell.

While he was known to entertain famous friends in his lavish mansions and on his private island in the US Virgin Islands, it would later be alleged the playboy hosted orgies on the same private island The Independent reports.

News_Image_File: Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island where sex parties took place.

A call to Palm Beach police sparked an 11-month undercover investigation that saw Epstein convicted of having sex with an underage girl according to the New York Times.

The former high-flyer was forced to leave his Caribbean home with his staff of 70, and a “flamingo-stocked lagoon” after being handed an 18-month jail sentence for soliciting prostitution after pleading guilty to child sex offences in 2008.

But several women want authorities to reconsider a plea deal that they said allowed Epstein to avoid more serious federal charges.

In court documents filed in the latest case against Epstein, a woman, identified by British media as Australian mother Virginia Roberts, claimed to have been Epstein’s sex slave from 1999 through to 2002.

News_Image_File: Jeffrey Epstein was forced to leave his Caribbean home with his staff of 70.News_Image_File: This idyllic venue hides dark secrets.

Among her claims, the 31-year-old says she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York at her captor’s behest.

The Queen’s second son was a known friend to Epstein but is believed to have cut ties with the disgraced financier, like many of his famous friends, following his conviction.

Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein has already cost him.

The prince gave up his post as Britain’s special representative for international trade and investment, which he held for 10 years, following scrutiny over the pair’s friendship according to Associated Press.

News_Image_File: Prince Andrew Duke of York’s reputation has already been tainted by his association with the disgraced American financier.

The filing in which Andrew is named is to be included in an ongoing civil case that accuses federal prosecutors of cutting a plea-bargain deal with Epstein without consulting his victims, in violation of the US Crime Victims Rights’ Act.

In the bombshell lawsuit, the mother-of-three claims she was pimped out to the Prince at the age of 17, when she entertained him in a sex “dungeon”.

“I was a pedophile’s top girl, being trained up for a British prince,” said Ms Roberts, who was used by Epstein for four years from the age of 15.

“I was totally under Jeffrey’s spell. I was his personal sex slave.”

She claims that on the private US island, she was forced to join in an orgy with a bevy of other under-age girls".

"He trained me to do whatever a man wanted. I would do anything to keep Jeffrey happy and keep my place as his No. 1 girl,” she said.

Ms Roberts said on one occasion she was specifically flown to London from the US as a “gift” to Andrew.

“It was made clear to me that my job was to do whatever (to) please him,” she said.

“The Prince didn’t give me money with his own hands. Jeffrey always took care of paying me.”

She said she had been excited to meet the Prince and took him to a sex “dungeon” where she entertained him.

Ms Roberts says she was abused on a daily basis, and trafficked to friends of Epstein.

Court documents also allege she was loaned to American politicians, powerful business executives, foreign presidents, a well-known prime minister, and other world leaders.

As Prince Andrew rushed to London, abandoning his ski trip to deal with the claims, the alleged victim’s father Sky Roberts told The Sun his daughter had been flown to London to meet Prince Andrew, and had even been introduced to the Queen while she was employed as a masseuse by Epstein.

“Virginia told me a few years back that she met Prince Andrew when she went to London,” Mr Roberts told the London paper from his Florida home.

“She also said while they were there she met the Queen. She was so excited about meeting the Queen.

“She had been flown to London by Jeffrey. He would fly her all over the world and she would give him massages on his private jet.”

Buckingham Palace has issued two denials over the claims saying that “any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors” by the Duke of York was “categorically untrue”.

“It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts,” a statement from the Palace read.

“The allegations made are false and without any foundation.”

A lawyer for Epstein told the Daily Mail the allegations emerging in the US court case were “old” and “salacious”.News_Rich_Media: In a US lawsuit, an Australian mother allegedly claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew.