realestate

Epstein's Viennese desk NYC heads to auction, $100K to secret sale

Over 24 decorative pieces sold at Millea Bros. biannual “select” auctions also appear in photos of Epstein’s mansion.

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New Jersey auction house, Millea Bros., has quietly liquidated more than $100,000 worth of items that once belonged to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, with additional sales expected. The “select” auctions, the second round of which began this week, have featured at least two dozen decorative objects that match photographs of Epstein’s former East 71st Street townhouse. The first round ran in June, and the listings for each lot omit any reference to Epstein’s prior ownership.

    Epstein’s 20,000‑square‑foot Manhattan residence, located at 9 E. 71st St., was a hub for high‑profile guests and, according to investigators, a site of repeated sexual abuse. The property sold in 2021 to former Goldman Sachs executive Michael Daffey for $51 million—down from an $88 million listing in 2020. Daffey carried out extensive tear‑down renovations on five of the seven floors.

    Among the items auctioned this week is a massive Viennese desk, identical to the one that once dominated Epstein’s study. The desk, over five feet deep and nine feet long, was last purchased from a Paris studio in 2006 and traces its lineage to the “House of Lichtenstein,” a royal house in the micro‑state between Switzerland and Austria. It currently has a single $2,500 bid.

    Other notable pieces include a life‑size bronze sculpture that once hung from Epstein’s ceiling, dressed in bridal attire, and a baroque walnut bookcase that stored lotions and towels in his massage parlor. The parlor was the alleged scene of the sexual torture described by Virginia Giuffre in her memoir “Nobody’s Girl.” A bronze sculpture of a nude woman, once suspended above Epstein’s foyer, sold for $1,500 in June. A baroque bookcase fetched $800, while a bronze and lucite column set sold for $46,000.

    The auction catalogues also list a range of odd items that echo Epstein’s depravity: plaster lamps, a silver chair, a rope from the life‑size statue, and a cartoonish sculpture of men dancing atop a bag of money. A pair of kneeling Neptune figurines, each holding two golden seashells, sold for $3,750. A small expressionist painting once displayed in Epstein’s foyer sold for $850. A bronze and golden lamp set fetched $3,750, and a bronze sculpture by Tom Otterness, whose work also decorates the 14th‑Street subway station, appeared in the auction.

    The estate’s attorney, Daniel Weiner, confirmed that the bulk sale of Epstein’s belongings was overseen by the estate last year. “Consistent with our obligations as co‑executors, we have systematically marshalled the Estate’s assets to satisfy creditors and claimants,” he said. “Part of that role involves selling the various residential properties owned by the Estate and their contents, including through a bulk sale to a New York‑area auction house.” All proceeds are earmarked for estate administration, including the $121 million-plus paid by the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program and more than $50 million in direct settlements with individual claimants, taxes, and other creditors.

    The auction house’s “select” sales, branded as “The Big Tuna,” showcase the finest finds from notable estates. Millea Bros. is owned by brothers Mark and Michael Millea, who could not be reached for comment. The items listed in the catalogues provide little provenance beyond art houses or past auction sales, and it remains unclear whether Epstein or his associates were previous buyers.

    Several pieces trace back to interior designer Alberto Pinto, who furnished Epstein’s townhouse. Pinto’s name appears on a $3,000 bed frame from Epstein’s sky‑blue bedroom, a $2,500 pair of Chinese figures on the library mantel, and a $2,250 desk chair. Pinto was listed in Epstein’s “black book” of contacts and in a lawsuit alleging a Paris rendezvous involving Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and a then‑17‑year‑old Virginia Roberts (Giuffre). Pinto died in 2012; Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025.

    Other items now in new hands include a print of a Kees van Dongen painting that once hung above Epstein’s desk, sold for $275, and a pair of green‑cushioned, silver‑mounted armchairs that appeared in a federal investigator’s foyer photo. The chairs, last sold for $22,000 at a 2004 Sotheby’s auction, currently have three bids up to $3,250.

    The auction’s catalogues also feature a bronze sculpture of a nude woman, a baroque walnut bookcase, a bronze and lucite column set, and a small expressionist painting, all of which were photographed in Epstein’s study. A metal and glass table in the far left corner sold for $18,000, while a reproduction of a Giuseppe Nogari painting sold for $500. Two convex mirrors sourced by Alberto Pinto sold for $1,200.

    Freelance journalist Tove Danocivh noted in her August Substack piece that the auction items were largely unremarkable, yet the presence of Pinto’s name and the provenance tied to Epstein’s home raise questions. The auction house’s “select” sales have remained largely out of the public eye, but the recent rounds have brought Epstein’s belongings into the spotlight, with proceeds directed toward victim compensation and estate obligations.

Epstein's Viennese desk heads to NYC auction, $100K secret sale.