With friends like these...

Jeffrey Epstein was the man who knew everyone, and while that doesn't mean guilt by association after his sex-trafficking conviction, it does say something profound about how things work at the very top of society

- Nigel Cawthorne

Celebrated birthday boy and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein knew everyone - presidents, prime ministers, financiers, businessmen, Nobel prize winners, Hollywood stars, and, of course, royalty. Not bad for someone who started out as a maths teacher from Coney Island. The trajectory from high school tutor to Wall Street financier with powerful connections could have been a classic American dream, rags-to-riches story – if it weren't for the sinister side to it.

After dropping out of college twice, Epstein secured a teaching post at Manhattan's prestigious Dalton School, where Rupert Murdoch's daughter, Prudence, was a pupil. In a report for The New York Times, former students described Epstein as a charismatic young teacher who at times acted more like a friend than an authority figure. However, after Epstein's behaviour toward some female students was considered creepy and inappropriate, he was asked to leave.

But he had already left an impression on some of the most influential parents there, one being Alan Greenberg, one of Wall Street's most powerful investment bankers at the time. This connection would prove pivotal and set the course for Epstein's eventual access to some of the most powerful people in the world.

Greenberg was the CEO of Bear Stearns and recommended Epstein for a role at the bank. As an options trader, Epstein rose quickly through the ranks, handling multimillion-dollar clients. Charming and comfortable taking risks, he developed a reputation for moving money internationally for clients' complex needs, including politically exposed figures. Soon, he became the toast of lower Manhattan, riding around in a chauffeur-driven limo with a beautiful woman on each arm.

Real estate developer Donald Trump was also prominent on the scene at the time. In 1976,