Methodology
How we track and measure the six dimensions of the Epstein Index
The Epstein Index tracks six distinct dimensions of data for individuals with documented connections to Jeffrey Epstein:
1. Stock Performance
Market returns for companies where connected individuals held leadership positions. Calculated as equal-weighted index vs S&P 500.
2. Net Worth
Historical net worth data from Forbes and Bloomberg estimates where publicly available.
3. Consequences
Professional and legal consequences including job loss, regulatory action, civil litigation, and criminal charges.
4. Money Flows
Documented financial transactions between individuals and Epstein, including payments, investments, and settlements.
5. Contact Timeline
Duration and nature of relationship, including meetings, emails, flights, and whether contact continued after 2008 conviction.
6. Connection Tier
Classification of relationship depth from Inner Circle to Documented Contact.
Tier 1: Inner Circle
Long-term, deeply documented personal or financial relationship. Evidence of multiple interactions, significant financial dealings, and/or documented visits to Epstein properties. These individuals had extensive contact spanning many years.
Examples: Business partners, close associates, frequent visitors
Tier 2: Business Associate
Documented business relationship, limited social connection, or philanthropic intersection. Clear evidence of interaction but less extensive than Tier 1. May include those who attended events or had professional dealings.
Examples: Investment contacts, academic donors, industry connections
Tier 3: Documented Contact
Limited documented contact such as appearing in contact book, single meeting, or brief professional interaction. Less evidence of ongoing relationship. Inclusion based on verifiable documentation.
Examples: Contact book entries, single event attendance, brief meetings
Lost primary position, faced criminal charges, significant regulatory action, and/or major civil settlements. Career substantially impacted.
Resigned from position or faced civil litigation. Reputation damaged but continued professional activity in some capacity.
Public apology or statement issued. Minor professional impact. Continued in primary role with minimal disruption.
No documented professional or legal consequences. Position and reputation remained substantially unaffected.
On June 30, 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to Florida state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and was sentenced to 18 months in county jail. This date serves as a critical marker throughout the Epstein Index.
Why This Date Matters
After this conviction, any continued contact with Epstein represented a deliberate choice to maintain association with a convicted sex offender. The Index specifically tracks which individuals maintained relationships post-conviction, as this demonstrates awareness of his criminal status.
On all timeline visualizations, the 2008 conviction appears as a red dashed line, providing visual context for when contacts occurred relative to this pivotal date.
All data in the Epstein Index is sourced from publicly available, verified sources:
Primary Sources
- Court documents and legal filings
- SEC filings and regulatory records
- Flight logs (Lolita Express manifests)
- Epstein's contact book (leaked 2015)
- Deposition transcripts
- DOJ investigation files (2026 release)
Secondary Sources
- Major news investigations (NYT, WSJ, Miami Herald)
- Forbes wealth estimates
- Bloomberg financial data
- Yahoo Finance historical prices
- Company press releases
- Public statements and interviews
The Epstein Index is constructed as an equal-weighted index of publicly traded companies where connected individuals held significant leadership positions during their tenure.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Individual must have documented Epstein connection
- Company must be publicly traded with available price data
- Individual must have held C-suite or board-level position
- Position must overlap with period of documented contact
Calculation Method:
- Equal weight assigned to each constituent company
- Rebalanced annually on January 1
- Normalized to base 100 as of January 1, 2008
- Compared against S&P 500 Total Return Index
This is NOT an accusation of criminal behavior. Appearing in the Epstein Index does not imply participation in or knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Many individuals had legitimate business relationships with Epstein before his crimes were widely known.
This is NOT investment advice. The Epstein Index is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Past performance does not indicate future results. Do not make investment decisions based on this data.
This is NOT a complete accounting. The Index only includes individuals with publicly documented connections. Many connections may remain undocumented or were not included due to insufficient verification.
This is NOT legal judgment. Inclusion in any tier or severity category represents our assessment of publicly available documentation, not a legal determination of culpability or innocence.