'No fun - not worth it': Jeffrey Epstein's 'suicide note' released by US judge
Epstein was found dead in his cell in July 2019 days before he was due to stand trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors
A note said to have been written by Jeffrey Epstein shortly before his suicide has been released, nearly seven years after the convicted sex offender was found dead in a New York jail cell.
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The handwritten note allegedly written by the paedophile financier was made public on Wednesday after it was found by his former cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione.
It reads: “They investigated me for months - FOUND NOTHING!!!”
It continues: “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye.
“Watcha want me to do – Bust out cryin!!”
It then states “NO FUN”, with the words underlined, and ends: “NOT WORTH IT!!”
Epstein was found dead in his cell in July 2019, aged 66, days before he was due to stand trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. He denied the allegations.
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He had been found unresponsive with a strip of cloth around his neck. Tartaglione later said he discovered the note in their cell, tucked inside a graphic novel.
The note was released by Judge Kenneth Karas after a request from The New York Times. It had previously been sealed as part of the criminal case involving Epstein’s former cellmate.
Tartaglione explained: “I opened the book to read and there it was.”
The note was reportedly written on a piece of yellow paper torn from a legal pad.
Epstein had claimed Tartaglione attacked him during an earlier incident and said he was not suicidal.
He was later moved to a different part of the jail, before being found dead weeks later at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in Manhattan.
Although Epstein’s death was ruled a suicide by the coroner, questions have continued to be raised over the circumstances.
In August 2025, Epstein’s brother Mark said he believed Epstein may not have killed himself. Epstein’s former butler, Valdson Vieira Cotrin, also said he “loved life too much” to take his own life and believed he expected to secure bail.
The note has not been authenticated, but its release comes as scrutiny over Epstein’s associates continues.
On Wednesday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appeared before a House committee investigating Epstein and was questioned about his past friendship with him.
The wider fallout has also continued to affect public figures in the UK and US, including Prince Andrew, Peter Mandelson and Donald Trump, all of whom have faced renewed attention over past links to Epstein.