2025 Epstein Files Release: Polymarket Bettors Navigate Transparency Claims

The U.S. Department of Justice dropped Jeffrey Epstein-related documents on February 27, 2025. Big disappointment. People expected bombshells. They got redactions instead. The 200-page release came from Attorney General Pamela Bondi's so-called "transparency effort." Mostly blacked-out papers. Nothing new, really. Just rehashed stuff about Epstein's network that allegedly trafficked over 250 minors.

Phase 1 Release Falls Short as Betting Goes Wild

Everyone thought we'd finally see who hung out with Epstein. Nope. Critics called it "recycled crap." Lots of black ink. Just Epstein's censored phone book. Some pilot logs from Maxwell's trial. A tiny "Evidence List." That's it.

The government says they had to protect victims. People aren't buying it. Social media exploded with frustration. "Nothing Burger" trended for hours.

That "Evidence List" seemed kind of new - just three pages listing stuff taken from Epstein's properties. Mentions his private island. Not exactly the smoking gun people wanted.

Prediction Markets Go Crazy Anyway

The release was a dud, but Polymarket's betting pools are on fire. Over $1.8 million in wagers! People betting on which famous names might appear in future releases before summer's end. Pretty wild speculation going on:

• David Koch sitting at 100% odds ($1.8M volume)
• Prince Andrew not far behind at 99% ($382K)
• Michael Jackson at 95% ($63K)
• Bill Clinton getting 89%
• Bill Gates at 52%

Larry Page is there too (43%). Hillary Clinton (39%). DiCaprio (34%). Even Tom Hanks (22%). It's not entirely clear why people are so confident about these predictions. The first release mentioned nobody.

Prediction Markets Fill the Gossip Void

Regular sportsbooks won't touch this stuff. Too risky. Too controversial. But platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi? They jumped right in. Kalshi apparently launched their first Epstein betting contracts back in February, right after the presidential transition. Interesting timing.

These prediction markets have become the place where public curiosity meets scandal. People want to bet on the Epstein list. It's like a weird intersection of morbid curiosity, legal drama, and political intrigue.

The Justice Department keeps promising "thousands more pages" coming soon. Nobody's holding their breath. The gap between what officials promise and what they deliver seems pretty wide. Meanwhile, prediction markets keep thriving on what might be revealed next. Or not.