Jeffrey Edward Epstein (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier, human trafficker, child sex offender, and serial rapist. He began his professional career as a teacher (without a degree) at the Dalton School. After his dismissal from the school in 1976, he entered the banking and finance sector, working at Bear Stearns in various roles, before starting his own firm. Epstein cultivated an elite social circle and procured at least 1,000 underage girls and women who were subjected to repeated rape and sexual violence, by him and his associates.