SURPRISING FACT
Siad wasn’t the only model scout connected to Epstein—or the first to be found dead. French authorities arrested modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel in 2020 after allegations that he had also found women for Epstein. Brunel was found dead in prison in 2022.
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Key background
Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, relied on a network of employees, associates and victims to recruit girls and young women, with federal law enforcement agents alleging the system was designed to ensure he had a “steady supply” of underage victims. Prosecutors alleged that employees, friends and several victims themselves were pressured or incentivized to bring new recruits into his orbit. Recruiters often approached girls in schools, malls and other public places, offering cash for what was initially described as a massage, with additional payments if they referred friends. Federal prosecutors said the recruitment system helped Epstein abuse hundreds of victims over decades, while some recruiters later said they had themselves been manipulated, exploited or coerced by Epstein into participating.
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further reading
Forbes‘No Evidence’ Gates Foundation Was Involved In Epstein’s Crimes, Its Investigation FindsBy Alison Durkee
ForbesBuffett Calls Gates’ Epstein Ties ‘Distasteful’—But Found Nothing ‘Beyond What I Could Picture Myself Doing’By Ty RoushForbesLeon Black Walks Out Of Epstein Interview After Being Subpoenaed, Decries ‘Political Stunt’By Alison Durkee