Fact Check: Does the viral photo suggest that Jeffrey Epstein is alive?

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the massive release of a tranche of documents related to convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein by the Department of Justice, a striking image has been circulating widely on social media showing a bearded man with sunglasses, claimed to be Epstein. The photo has ignited debate about the late financier’s reported death. Let’s fact-check it.

Claim: Image shows Jeffrey Epstein is alive

As the photo goes viral, numerous claims such as Epstein faked his death and is very much alive, have been circulating on social media platforms. 

The photo, taken from a side angle, shows a person alleged to be Jeffrey Epstein wearing dark sunglasses and sporting long hair and a beard, and spread with the claim that the financier is living in Israel. 

The image was shared on a conspiracy theory thread on Reddit as well. “Ok. I don’t normally fold over with these types of photos, but bro, either I’m too consumed, and everything is looking like pedo Epstein, or that actually is him…. The guy standing next to him has an earpiece in. Am I going mad?” the person who shared the post wrote.

Fact Check: False, no evidence that the person in the image is Jeffrey Epstein

According to multiple fact checks, while the person in the image does look like Epstein, if he grew a beard and decided to grow out his hair, the picture does not appear to be real.

A user on X noted that it was AI-generated, specifically made using Google Gemini, as suggested by the alleged watermark, which was visible in the bottom corner.

A fact check by Grok, the AI assistant of X, stated, “No, that's not Jeffrey Epstein. He died in 2019, and this man's long hair and beard don't match Epstein's known appearance. It looks like a case of mistaken identity — perhaps a lookalike in Tel Aviv based on the surroundings,” though the AI chatbot did not flag the image as AI-generated.

Massive release of records linked to Jeffrey Epstein

The claim came following the release of millions of additional pages of records connected to Epstein on Friday, January 30, by the Department of Justice. 

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the release also included more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

The decision came after weeks of criticism that the department was not following a federal law passed in November, which required all Epstein-related files to be made public by December 19.

According to the department, the released records draw from five primary sources, including the federal cases against Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, a Florida investigation involving one of Epstein’s former butlers, multiple FBI probes, and an internal Justice Department watchdog investigation into Epstein’s death.