EP13 | 艾普斯坦案：權力、金錢與正義 | Jeffrey Epstein: Power, Money, and Justice

這一集我們用簡單英文聊一個震驚全球的真實犯罪案件——Jeffrey Epstein。為什麼一個出身普通的人能夠快速累積巨大財富？2008 年的認罪協議為什麼引發巨大爭議？為什麼案件在 2019 年重新被調查？他的死亡又為何充滿疑點？近年公開的文件又提到了哪些知名人物？ In this episode, we explore the Jeffrey Epstein case in simple English. Why did he become so rich? Why was the 2008 plea deal so controversial? What happened in 2019, and why is the case still discussed today? Learn useful vocabulary while understanding this shocking true crime story. Leave a comment and share your thoughts: Transcript: Hey guys, I’m your English teacher, Miss Y. Welcome to this podcast made for intermediate English learners who want to listen to English and learn about different topics in a fun and easy way. Let me tell you a secret. I’m actually a true crime fan. True crime (真實犯罪). I really enjoy watching true crime documentaries. So today, I want to talk about a very hot and famous case: Jeffrey Epstein. You might have heard his name in the news. Recently, his name has come back into the spotlight again. In this episode, I want to explain this case in simple English. However, I will not go into the details of what he did to the teenage girls. It does not mean the victims (受害者) are not important. They are very important. But the story is very evil and disturbing, and some listeners may not feel comfortable hearing those details. If you want to learn more, I recommend a Netflix documentary called “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich.” It explains the case and the victims’ experiences in much more detail. Today, we will focus on the big picture and the key events. So let’s start from the beginning and understand who Jeffrey Epstein was. Who was Jeffrey Epstein? He was an American businessman and financier. A financier means a person who manages money for rich people. 金融家. But later, he became known as a sex offender (性侵犯) and was accused of running a network that abused underage girls. Abuse means 不當對待 or hurt someone in a very serious way. This case shocked many people because Epstein was connected to many powerful and famous people, like politicians, business leaders, and celebrities. Now, how did he become rich? This is one of the biggest mysteries. Epstein did not come from a rich family. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were not wealthy. His early life was quite normal. He was good at math, and he went to college, but he did not finish his degree. He dropped out (輟學) before graduating. But here is the strange part. Even without a college degree, he became a math teacher at a very famous private school in New York. Normally, teachers need a degree, right? But this school was very elite (菁英的) and had more freedom in hiring. The headmaster decided to hire him. Some people wondered if Epstein had strong connections or special support. However, there is no clear evidence. After a short time, he left teaching and moved to Wall Street (華爾街), the center of finance in the United States. He got a job at a big investment bank. This surprised many people because he had little experience in finance. But in the 1970s, it was more common to get jobs through recommendations and personal networks (人脈). So experts say this was not impossible. Still, people became suspicious (懷疑的) because his career grew very fast. He started working with very rich clients. Later, he opened his own financial business. He said he only worked with billionaires and ultra-rich people. He helped them with tax planning, investments, and protecting their money. But here is another mystery. Almost nobody knows exactly how he made his money. There are very few public records. Some journalists believe he helped rich people move money to other countries to reduce taxes. This is not always illegal, but it is very secret. Others think he was more like a “fixer.” That means he helped powerful people solve problems quietly and privately. There are also more extreme theories. Some people believe he collected secrets about powerful people and used those secrets to gain influence. But again, there is no confirmed proof. One very important relationship was with a billionaire businessman named Leslie Wexner, the owner of the famous lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret. Wexner trusted Epstein and gave him control over large amounts of money. This helped Epstein become rich and famous. But later, Wexner said Epstein had betrayed his trust. So overall, the biggest controversy about Epstein’s wealth is simple: nobody really knows the full story. His business was very secret, and many records are private. But one thing I’m very sure about is that he was extremely good at dealing with people and building his network. Now let’s move to the 2008 case. In 2005, police in Florida began investigating Epstein after a teenage girl said he paid her for sexual activities (sexual 跟性有關的; sexual activities 性方面的活動). The police found many victims. They believed Epstein was running a system where girls were recruited (被招募) to give “massages,” which later became sexual abuse. Many of these girls were under 18. Okay, here you will hear many words related to lawsuit. At first, federal prosecutors (檢察官) considered charging him with human trafficking. Human trafficking means buying, selling and transporting human. If convicted (被定罪的話), he could have gone to prison for many years, even life. But in 2008, something surprising happened. Epstein made a plea deal. A plea deal means the defendant agrees to plead guilty to smaller crimes to avoid a trial. (plea deal 認罪協議, 就是你可以自己承認一些罪，換取比較輕的刑罰) In Epstein’s case, the deal was very controversial. He pleaded guilty, he admitted that he did something wrong, he admitted he was guilty to only two charges (指控) related to prostitution (賣淫). These were much less serious than the original accusations (指控). In fact, he avoided federal charges completely. That was so not fair. His punishment was also shocking. He was sentenced (不是句子的意思; 表示判刑) to 13 months in a local jail. But he was allowed work release. This means he could leave jail during the day, six days a week, and go to a private office. In reality, he spent much of his sentence outside the jail. Who could be sentenced to jail but is allowed to go out almost every day? That was just crazy, right? Another big controversy was that the victims were not told about the plea deal before it was signed. Also, the agreement protected the people who helped Epstein doing illegal stuff. This stopped a wider investigation. Unfortunately, for many years, the public didn’t know about this case at that time. But in 2019, about 10 years later, everything changed. In 2019, some journalists published new reports. They interviewed victims and reviewed the old case. Thanks to this report, now everyone knew, and was shocked again. Many people asked why Epstein had received such a light sentence. Federal prosecutors in New York opened a new investigation. They charged Epstein with sex trafficking. So, Epstein was arrested in July 2019. This time, it looked like he would face a full trial (審判). Many people hoped the truth about his network and connections would finally come out. But — there are so many “but”s in today’s story — before the trial began, something dramatic happened. In August 2019, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell. The official cause of death was suicide (自殺). He used bedsheets to hang himself. However, many people did not believe this explanation. There were many strange details. First, Epstein was a high-risk prisoner (high-risk 高風險). He had information about powerful people. Many believed he should have been under strict watch. Second, he had earlier injuries in jail. It means he might have tried to commit suicide before. He was placed on suicide watch (特別看守為了防止自殺), but later removed. People asked why. Third, security failures happened. The guards were supposed to check on him regularly, but they did not. They later admitted they fell asleep and changed records. Fourth, cameras near his cell were not working properly on that night. Some video was missing. What a coincidence! (coincidence 巧合) Because of all these problems, many conspiracy theories (conspiracy theories 陰謀論) conspiracy theories spread. Some people believed powerful figures (有權勢的人物) wanted him dead. Others thought intelligence agencies (情報單位) were involved. But official investigations said there was no evidence of murder. Even today, many people are still not convinced. So why did the case become popular again in 2025 and 2026? One big reason is that courts (法院) continued to release old documents. These were from lawsuits and investigations connected to Epstein. Many documents had been secret for years. When they were released, they included names of many famous people. For the record, being named in a document does not mean someone did a crime. Sometimes a person is only mentioned in a witness statement or social contact list. Still, the public was very interested. Some of the most famous people who received attention included Prince Andrew from the British royal family (英國皇室). He was directly accused by one of Epstein’s victims of sexual abuse. He denied it. Former US President Bill Clinton (柯林頓) also got attention because he had social contact with Epstein in the past. But he said he did not know about Epstein’s crimes. US President Donald Trump (川普) was also discussed because he had social connections with Epstein in the 1990s. He said he later ended the relationship. Bill Gates (比爾蓋茲) met Epstein several times after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Gates later said this was a mistake. Elon Musk (馬斯克), his name was mentioned. And Musk said he only met Epstein briefly and did not continue the relationship. The reason this case continues to attract attention is simple. Many important questions remain unanswered. Epstein died before a trial. Many victims feel justice is incomplete. People still want to know the full truth. Even many years later, the story of Jeffrey Epstein is still in the spotlight. It makes us think about an important question: are all people really equal in front of the law? Many people feel that the rich and powerful sometimes receive better treatment, and this case made those concerns even stronger. When I was doing research on this case, it also made me think about how horrible crimes against underage people are (underage, 未成年的). Children and teenagers are actually vulnerable, and it was so easy for the adults to hurt them. What’s worse, the harm can last for their entire life. Many victims feel fear, shame, or guilt, even though they did nothing wrong. So as listeners, we should not forget about their feelings, avoid blaming them, and support a safer environment where victims can seek help. Before we finish, I want you to think about one last question. What does justice mean to you? And how can we create a safer society, especially for children and young people? I’m Miss Y, and I really hope you enjoyed learning English with me today. If you liked this episode, come back next time for another fun 15 to 20 minutes of simple, clear English and a brand-new topic to explore. Stay curious, and learn about the world in simple English. Powered by Firstory Hosting