Jeffrey Epstein died owning a New York City townhouse, two Virgin Islands compounds, a ranch in New Mexico, a pied-à-terre in Paris, and a bungalow in West Palm Beach. He also owned a Colorado ski chalet in Vail valued at about $24 million.
On Aug. 26, 1998, Elizabeth Ross “Libet” Johnson signed over the deed for her home in the exclusive resort town to The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Amended and Restated Revocable Trust. The trust had been created a few months earlier, in May 1998, and the notarized warranty deed lists just two trustees: Johnson and her financial advisor at the time — Epstein.
Johnson was among the wealthiest women in the United States due to her family lineage: her great-grandfather Robert Wood Johnson was one of the three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson. Despite her wealth, she largely avoided public attention.
Exactly how Johnson met Epstein isn’t clear. However, it’s believed their connection may have come through her boyfriend at the time, celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai, who was known to be friendly with Epstein.
The v echoed a high-profile move years earlier by L Brands founder Les Wexner — another Epstein client — who transferred his New York City property into a trust and named Epstein as a trustee. Epstein later ended up owning that home outright. In Johnson’s case, Epstein would ultimately retain a stake in the Vail chalet even years later.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(599x0:601x2):format(webp)/frederic-Fekkai-Libet-Johnson-122325-0975e69be0c74a5d8e83095544ec6f73.jpg)
The deed granted Epstein broad authority to act on the trust’s behalf, including the right to “convey, encumber, lease or otherwise deal with interest,” and specified that “a new affidavit must be recorded upon each change of trustees or members of joint venture.”
The estate was intended to pass to Johnson’s heirs, which occurred after her death in 2017. Johnson had reportedly not been in contact with Epstein since the late 1990s.
Epstein died in 2019. In 2020, the trust sold the chalet, with the affidavit of sale signed by Annabel Teal, one of Johnson’s five children. It remains unclear whether any proceeds from the sale went to Epstein’s estate or to his heir, his brother Mark.
The home was built in 1996, and Sotheby’s — the listing agent for the 2020 sale — described it as the “ultimate mountain escape to entertain and spend time with loved ones.” The property reportedly sleeps 18, includes seven en-suite bedrooms, direct access to two nearby ski resorts, and features a ski locker room, a four-season swimming pool, and a sauna.
