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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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As President Donald Trump continues to push to buy Greenland, some people are just finding out that the last major territory the United States bought from Denmark was in 1917—the Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands.
But a lot of social media users are jokingly pointing fingers at a much smaller, much more infamous island in the Virgin Islands that was part of the 1917 acquisition—Little Saint James, more commonly known as Epstein Island.
Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island was never sold to the United States—but it is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands that was later purchased by Epstein himself. That has not stopped online jokes and shock from people making the connection for the first time.
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The history behind the real purchase is straightforward: in 1917, the U.S. paid $25 million in gold to Denmark for the Danish West Indies, gaining control over the islands now known as Saint Thomas, Saint John and Saint Croix.
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Who Purchased Epstein Island?
Epstein privately purchased Little Saint James in 1998, and it gained notoriety as the private island where the disgraced financier allegedly committed sexual crimes.
The island became a focal point of the criminal investigations and civil lawsuits that followed Epstein’s arrest and death, and it remains a point of public discussion today. Many continue to call for the release of detailed information on who visited the island and when, particularly as part of the recently unsealed Jeffrey Epstein files, which have shed new light on Epstein’s network and ongoing legal proceedings.
Trump’s Greenland Proposal
Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland has triggered a fresh wave of international controversy. In recent days, the president posted an image online showing the U.S. flag over a map that included Greenland (and even Canada), drawing widespread attention and criticism.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants Greenland for "national security" reasons and has not ruled out a range of options to secure it—including tariffs on European allies that oppose the idea. In fact, the president announced a 10 percent tariff on goods from Denmark and other NATO countries starting February 1, threatening to raise it to 25 percent if a deal for a "complete and total purchase" of Greenland isn’t reached.
Many U.S. lawmakers, including Republicans, oppose using force against a NATO ally, and polls suggest most Americans are against buying Greenland outright. Across Europe, leaders have strongly defended Danish sovereignty over the island, even as France’s embassy in the U.S. playfully trolled the White House with Taylor Swift lyrics.
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