Lolita Express

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The "Lolita Express" is the nickname given to a Boeing 727-100 aircraft that was owned by the convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. Sex parties involving underaged teenage girls allegedly occurred onboard the aircraft, organized by Ghislaine Maxwell. [1]

Contents

The aircraft was a Boeing 727-100 registered N908JE. [2] Epstein also owned a Gulfstream jet, a twin-engine Cessna 421 and a private helicopter. [1] The airplane had a Bloomberg Terminal installed so Epstein could work while onboard. [1] The jet was nicknamed the Lolita Express by the locals in the Virgin Islands, because of its frequent arrivals with apparently underage girls. [1] The name references the 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov about Dolores Haze, a 12-year-old girl and her rape and sexual assault by her middle-aged stepfather, Humbert Humbert. [1]

Epstein traveled in the airplane frequently, logging "600 flying hours a year ... usually with guests on board". [3] In 2002 Epstein travelled on the airplane to Germany for a week "meeting with various government officials and financial types" and subsequently travelled to Brazil. [4] Epstein sold the aircraft in 2017 and it was subsequently destroyed. [5]

Notable guests and flights

Sex parties involving underaged teenage girls allegedly occurred onboard the aircraft, organized by Ghislaine Maxwell. [1]

In 2003, Epstein flew to Cuba aboard his plane with Colombian president Andrés Pastrana Arango at the invitation of Cuban president Fidel Castro. According to Fabiola Santiago of the Miami Herald , Epstein was likely considering relocating to Cuba in order to escape U.S. law enforcement; Epstein was under investigation from U.S. law enforcement at the time. [6]

In 2009, Epstein's brother Mark claimed Donald Trump had flown on the plane at least once. He later told The Washington Post that Trump flew "numerous times" on Epstein's airplane, although Mark was present on only one of the flights. [7] [8] According to Michael Corcoran, Trump flew Epstein on his own airplane at least once. [9] In a conversation with author Michael Wolff recorded in 2017, Epstein claimed that Trump and his third wife Melania Trump had sexual intercourse for the first time onboard the aircraft. [10] Nadia Marcinko was a regular traveller with Epstein on the aircraft. [11]

In September 2002, Epstein flew Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, and Chris Tucker to Africa in this jet. [4] [12] [13] Flight records obtained in 2016 show Bill Clinton flew 27 times on the same jet to at least a dozen international locations. [14]

Flight logs did not list any Secret Service detail for at least five flights on a 2002 trip to Asia, [14] and the Secret Service stated that there is no evidence of the former president making a trip to Epstein's private island. [14] In 2019, a Clinton spokesperson stated that, in 2002 and 2003, Clinton took four trips on Epstein's airplane, making stops on three continents, all with his staff and Secret Service detail. [15] At the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest, Clinton's spokeswoman Angel Ureña stated that Clinton had "not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and has never been to Little St. James Island, Epstein's ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida". [16] [17]

Other notable passengers who travelled on the aircraft included businessman Ron Burkle, model Naomi Campbell, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and the former United States Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers. [1]

Epstein sold the aircraft in 2017 and it was subsequently destroyed. [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Whalen, Andrew (July 9, 2019). "What is the Lolita Express? Epstein's infamous sex plane included VIPS like Bill Clinton". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  2. ↑ Trotter, J.K. (2019-07-12). "Flight data from Jeffery Epstein's private jet shows a lavish travel schedule as the walls closed in". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  3. ↑ Ostler, Catherine (January 29, 2015). "Jeffrey Epstein: The Sex Offender Who Mixes With Princes and Premiers". Newsweek . Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Thomas, Landon Jr. (October 28, 2002). "Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery". New York . Archived from the original on December 19, 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Tait, Robert (August 13, 2024). "Donald Trump used Jeffrey Epstein's former jet for campaign appearances". The Guardian . Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  6. ↑ Santiago, Fabiola (August 16, 2019). "A match made in hell: Epstein, Fidel Castro, and the Lolita Express that flew to Cuba". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  7. ↑ Reinhard, Beth; Helderman, Rosalind S.; Fisher, Marc (July 31, 2019). "Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein partied together. Then an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion came between them". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  8. ↑ Fahrenthold, David A.; Reinhard, Beth; Kindy, Kimberly (July 8, 2019). "Trump called Epstein a 'terrific guy' who enjoyed 'younger' women before denying relationship with him". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019. Epstein's brother, Mark, recalled in 2009 that Trump had flown on Epstein's plane at least once
  9. ↑ Walsh, James D. (July 15, 2019). "Remembering the Time Jeffrey Epstein Rode on Donald Trump's Plane". New York . Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  10. ↑ Dougherty, Hugh (January 2, 2024). "Donald Trump Flights on Jeffrey Epstein's 'Lolita Express'—What We Know". The Guardian . Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ Heffernan, Virginia (23 July 2019). "The Twisted Flight Paths of 'Global Girl' and the Lolita Express". Wired . Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  12. ↑ "Jeffrey Epstein, friend of presidents and princes, charged with sex trafficking". France24. Reuters, AP. July 8, 2019. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  13. ↑ Whalen, Andrew (July 9, 2019). "What Is The Lolita Express? Epstein's Infamous Sex Plane Included VIPs Like Bill Clinton". Newsweek . Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 Zimmerman, Malia (May 13, 2016). "Flight logs show Bill Clinton flew on sex offender's jet much more than previously known". Fox News . Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016. 26 trips aboard the "Lolita Express" -- even apparently ditching his Secret Service detail for at least five of the flights.
  15. ↑ Colvin, Jill (July 9, 2019). "What did Jeffrey Epstein's famous friends know and see?". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  16. ↑ Morin, Rebecca (July 10, 2019). "Spokesman: Bill Clinton 'knows nothing' about 'terrible crimes' alleged against Epstein". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  17. ↑ Farrell, Greg (July 9, 2019). "If You Flew Epstein's 'Lolita Express' Private Jet—the Feds Want to Talk to You". Bloomberg News . Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
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