The American man, who calls himself ‘Palm Beach Pete’, was recorded driving along a road in Florida by an influencer who, during the clip, claimed ‘Epstein is alive’.
Pete later created an Instagram account under the handle @NotEpstein, where he shared a video explaining his identity, reports Metro.
The account has since been taken down. In an earlier post, he said: ‘Hey everybody, this is Palm Beach Pete and my video went viral because some dude randomly filmed me while I was driving on I-95, unbeknownst to me. And the next thing I know, I’m a viral sensation,’
Pete explained that things had become ‘pretty crazy’ after the video spread, as he received a large number of comments about how he looks, reports Metro.
At one point, someone off camera can be heard asking: ‘So, you’re not Jeffrey Epstein?’
Pete answered: ‘I’m not Jeffrey Epstein. I’m Palm Beach Pete,’ reports Metro.
Celebrity news outlet TMZ later spoke with him, where he mentioned that he had gone viral before—especially at a hockey game with his children and when he appeared in the background of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of New York City, where he was seen greeting Sonja Morgan.
‘Back in the day, when I was living in the city, I went to a couple of parties and Epstein was there,’ he said, reports Metro.
Pete described Epstein as ‘kinda’ creepy, noting that he kept to himself and wasn’t seen as particularly important or widely known at the time.
He also said he never actually met the disgraced financier or had any direct conversation with him, reports Metro.
According to Pete, Epstein seemed ‘mysterious’, echoing what others have said—that ‘people didn’t know where he made his money or what his story was.
While being held in police custody in New York awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, Epstein died by suicide in 2019, reports Metro.
After his death, numerous conspiracy theories emerged suggesting he had been killed or was still alive.
Pete said that although no one has confronted him aggressively in person about Epstein’s crimes, he has received negative comments online, reports Metro.
He added that he has no intention of changing his appearance despite the resemblance, saying: ‘I’m me, I’m Palm Beach Pete.
‘I’m a regular guy, I’m retired, I’ve lived in the city for a long time. I worked in commercial real estate.
‘I love to play tennis, I’m very social, I’m not going to change.
‘This guy is dead. He was a really bad person. I can hold my head high – I didn’t do anything. I’m just a better looking version than Jeffrey,’ reports Metro.
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