Influencers flock to Epstein former island for viral videos
Little Saint James trespass tourism grows after new Epstein files release, private ownership clashes with platform incentives and thin enforcement
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Little St. James has become a hot spot for content creators hoping to go viral.
nbcnews.com
Influencers visiting the island have frequently traveled via Jet Ski.Courtesy Ahmad Aburob
nbcnews.com
For visitors to Little St. James, the "Temple" has been a particular fascination.Courtesy Andy Bracco
nbcnews.com
More than 15 YouTube videos about Jeffrey Epstein’s former private island have amassed over 52 million views, as content creators travel to Little Saint James in the US Virgin Islands to film “exploration” footage that often ends with drones overhead or people stepping onto the beach, according to NBC News.
The island’s pull is not its scenery but its association with a closed criminal world—and with the latest burst of public attention. NBC News ties the surge to a new release of “Epstein files” under the Trump administration, which pushed searches for “Epstein Island” and “Little James Island” to an all-time high in February, per Google Trends. In the influencer economy, that kind of spike is a timetable: creators race to publish while the algorithm is still handing out reach.
The trips themselves look like a template. Creators fly into St Thomas, ask locals for rumors and directions, rent jet skis or snorkel gear, and then swim to the island or send drones over it. The legal status is murky in practice even if it is clear on paper. Little Saint James is privately owned by billionaire Stephen Deckoff, who bought it and a neighboring island for $60 million in 2023. Deckoff’s earlier statement described plans for a 25-room luxury resort; yet the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources told NBC News it has received no development plans for either island as of March 2026.
That gap—between ownership and on-the-ground control—creates the opening that “content tourism” exploits. Some creators avoid stepping on land because they do not know how the new owner will respond. Others treat the risk as part of the product. Jordan-based YouTuber Ahmad Aburob told NBC News he went quickly because he knew it would go viral, and his video shows him approaching the structure popularly dubbed the island’s “temple.” For at least eight creators reviewed by NBC, the Epstein-island video ranks among their five most-viewed uploads.
Authorities appear to be present mostly as a referral chain. The US Coast Guard directed NBC to the Virgin Islands Police Department; police did not respond. Without visible enforcement, the deterrent becomes inconsistent and individualized—exactly the environment where online attention can be converted into ad revenue faster than a trespass complaint can be processed.
Little Saint James was once a controlled-access island used to hide crimes. In 2026 it is a location tag.
Deckoff bought the island for $60 million. The people filming it arrive by jet ski.