Photographer Christopher Anderson has revealed the details behind his 2015 encounter with Jeffrey Epstein, whom he photographed for a cancelled New York magazine profile. Anderson describes a series of unsettling interactions, including Epstein's attempts to buy the image rights for $20,000 and the eventual dispatch of a "mafia-esque" intimidator to Anderson's studio to seize a hard drive. The photographer's email exchanges with Epstein’s staff were recently made public as part of the Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files.
These rediscovered images, which appear in Anderson's new career-spanning book 'Index', provide rare visual evidence of Epstein's private world and his high-level connections. One photograph notably captures a document on Epstein's desk referencing unpaid staff wages for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, highlighting the financier's role as a fixer for the powerful. The account underscores the ethical and physical risks faced by photojournalists when documenting figures of immense influence and criminal background.