Epstein's $5,000 custom chess set surfaces with him as the king
Photos depict Jeffrey Epstein as the king in a 36-piece set created from a 2016 New York photo shoot, with nine female models featured among the pieces
A custom chess set commissioned by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has surfaced, showing Epstein depicted as the king alongside nine women posed as the other pieces. The project began in 2016, when several women in their 20s visited a New York City photo shop and requested a shoot to form the basis for a chess set. The shop then produced 3D sculptures based on the photographs, resulting in a complete 36-piece set that includes pawns, rooks, knights, bishops and queens. Epstein arrived toward the end of the process to pose for his own images, according to reports.
Photos obtained by TMZ show Epstein in a gilded crown and a robe for the king, with the accompanying pieces designed to mirror the poses of the models across both sides of the board. The women photographed for the project reportedly belonged to a chess club, though details about that group’s leadership were not disclosed. The final price tag for the custom set was $5,000, a relatively modest sum given Epstein’s reported wealth at the time of his death in 2019 at a New York federal detention facility.
The object now surfaces in a broader conversation about artifacts tied to Epstein’s life and the sensational details that continue to emerge in media reporting. TMZ and the New York Post both frame the set as a curiosity rooted in Epstein’s wealth and notoriety, illustrating how private memorabilia linked to high-profile figures can become fodder for public fascination even years after their prominence has faded. The reporting underscores how some artifacts associated with Epstein have persisted in the public eye, independent of legal proceedings or ongoing investigations.
While the specifics of who organized or funded the photo sessions remain unverified in official court records, the set’s existence and cost are documented in the TMZ report, with its public exposure tied to the New York Post’s coverage. The pieces themselves, carved as three-dimensional sculptures, are described as complete once Epstein’s own images were added to the lineup, culminating in a theatrical, if controversial, chess tableau. The episode sits at the intersection of culture, celebrity, and crime reporting, illustrating how material objects tied to infamous figures can become focal points for discussion about wealth, power, and accountability.