A Florida man who resembles sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is shutting down conspiracy theorists, insisting he’s not the disgraced financier.
Dashcam video shows the man known as “Palm Beach Pete” dispelling rumors that he might be Epstein, 66, who was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Authorities later ruled the death to be a suicide.
“Hey everybody, this is Palm Beach Pete and my video went viral ‘cuz some dude randomly filmed me as I was driving on I-95 unbeknownst to me,” he said. “And the next thing I know, I’m a viral sensation.”
The man said he hadn’t accessed his phone for several hours at the time, during which the device had been “blowing up,” he said.
“So, I got a lot of traction, it’s pretty crazy,” he said on the clip posted on X Thursday.
He then shut down the growing speculation online about 2019’s death.
“I’m not Jeffrey Epstein,” he declared. “I’m Palm Beach Pete!”
Attempts to reach the unidentified man were unsuccessful early Friday, but he seems to be embracing the resemblance as his multiple social media profiles insist that he’s not Epstein.
“Thanks for the spotlight,” he posted on X Thursday while declaring himself to be “regular guy” from Palm Beach.
“Phones been chaos ever since!” he wrote.
Footage shared online last week showed “Palm Beach Pete” in a white baseball cap and sunglasses driving a convertible with the top down in South Florida. The clip reignited conspiracy narratives surrounding Epstein’s demise despite official findings that he died by suicide in a New York City jail cell in 2019, a conclusion reached by the city’s medical examiner and supported by federal reviews.
“Epstein out here in South Florida,” a caption on the Instagram clip read.
As the footage gained traction, social media users revived long-running conspiracy claims about Epstein’s fate, with some observers noting that the look was common for middle-aged men in South Florida.
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