Did Epstein ‘sell’ a woman to Trump for $22,500? What the 'birthday book' actually reveals

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump - File Image

A new cache of papers from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has been handed over to the US Congress. Among the documents is a scrapbook page that has revived old questions about Epstein’s social ties with Donald Trump. It contains a photograph of Epstein grinning next to a giant novelty cheque signed “DJ TRUMP” and a handwritten note suggesting Epstein had “sold” a woman, crudely described as “fully depreciated,” to Trump for $22,500 (Rs 19.8 lakh). Trump has spent the past two months denying any connection, calling the revelations “nothing more than a Democrat Epstein hoax.” Yet the strange illustration and captions have again placed their friendship under a microscope.

What the documents show

The material released by House Democrats includes a photograph of Epstein holding up the oversized cheque for $22,500. The signature reads “DJTRUMP” but does not resemble Trump’s actual handwriting. The undated image is part of a 238-page “birthday book” assembled for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003 by his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. In the version made public the face of a woman standing beside Epstein is blacked out, along with part of the handwritten caption.

According to The New York Times, the caption appears to have been written by Joel Pashcow, a former New York real estate executive listed in Epstein’s flight records. Public filings describe him as a Palm Beach resident near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago and as the managing member of Nassau Capital since 2006.

The Wall Street Journal, citing the woman’s lawyer, reported that she was a wealthy European in her twenties at the time and had cut off all ties with Epstein around 1997. Her lawyer also said she did not have any romantic relationship with either Trump or Epstein. So far, the White House has not commented on the latest release.

The “Bawdy” note

Another page from the same book contains an illustrated note set inside the outline of a woman’s body. It appears to be an imagined dialogue between Trump and Epstein and begins, “There must be more to life than having everything.”

Donald: “Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.”

Jeffrey: “Nor will I, since I also know what it is.”

Donald: “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.”

Jeffrey: “Yes we do, come to think of it.”

Donald: “Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?”

Jeffrey: “As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.”

Donald: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

Trump’s name and a signature that somewhat resembles his real one appear at the bottom. But he has flatly denied writing it. When The Wall Street Journal first reported on the note in July, Trump insisted, “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words.” He has even sued the Murdoch-owned paper for $10 billion. At times both Trump and Vice President JD Vance have suggested the note might not even exist.

White House pushback and Trump’s defence

After the new publication, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the material fabricated. “As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation … This is FAKE NEWS to perpetuate the Democrat Epstein Hoax!” she wrote on X.

Trump himself has dismissed the entire controversy as a partisan smear. On Truth Social last week he wrote, “The confused and badly failing Democrat Party did nothing about Jeffrey Epstein while he was alive except befriend him, socialise with him, travel to his island, and take his money! … Where were they during his very public trials, and for all of those years before his death? The answer is, nowhere to be found.”

That rebuttal contrasts with Trump’s own past ties to Epstein. Through the 1990s and early 2000s the two moved in the same social circles and were often photographed together at parties and New York society events. Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein in the 2000s but was vague about why. In July he told supporters the falling out stemmed from Epstein having “stolen” young women working at Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre, the American-Australian victim of Epstein’s trafficking network who died by suicide earlier this year.