A Florida man has found himself at the center of a fresh Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy — after going viral for his uncanny resemblance to the disgraced s-x trafficker, earning him the nickname “Palm Beach Pete.” Pete’s bio on X (formerly Twitter) reads, “Not Jeffrey Epstein.”
The silver-haired, square-jawed Pete is such a Jeffrey Epstein lookalike that he became extremely popular on the Internet after someone recorded him cruising in a convertible along a Florida highway, the New York Post reports. The clip quickly spread online, with some suggesting he was Epstein — who once owned property in the state — despite official findings that he is dead.
Hello this Palm Beach Pete just wanted to thank everybody for the support and good vibes… I’m not Jeffrey Epstein pic.twitter.com/0sRXvSSAW1
— Palm Beach Pete (@not_jeffepstein) March 20, 2026
“Epstein is alive! Epstein is alive!” the person filming can be heard shouting, sparking a frenzy across social media. Pete later explained that his phone began “blowing up” after “some dude randomly filmed me while I was driving on I-95, unbeknownst to me.” Pete addressed the viral frenzy during Thursday’s episode of the Nicky Gordo Show, TMZ reports.
“I’m minding my own business driving down to a place in town. And the next thing you know, hundreds of millions of views.” Gordo noted the similarities between Pete and Epstein — both from New York, around the same age, Jewish, and living in Palm Beach. Even Palm Beach Pete acknowledged the overlap was “pretty weird,” but attributed it to people’s “vivid imaginations.”
While Palm Beach Pete admits the resemblance is hard to ignore, he made it clear he wants no association with “such a vile human being,” telling the host, “I could be the guy, but I’m not the guy.” He doubled down on social media Friday, saying in an Instagram video, “I’m so not Jeffrey Epstein, I’m just me being me.”
As for his day-to-day life as Palm Beach Pete, he said it’s far less dramatic — consisting of heading into town, grabbing lunch, and playing a round of tennis.
“And the next thing I know, I’m a viral sensation,” Palm Beach Pete said in a social media video that racked up more than a million likes. “I’m not Jeffrey Epstein. I’m Palm Beach Pete!”
Despite his denial, many online users couldn’t get over the striking resemblance, with some questioning why Palm Beach Pete hadn’t changed his appearance.
NEW: Man who went viral for looking like Jeffrey Epstein speaks out.
“I’m not Jeffrey Epstein, I’m Palm Beach Pete.” pic.twitter.com/0B1CmQcukZ
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) March 19, 2026
“Dude has to get this constantly. Time to grow a beard,” one person commented, while others joked that the disgraced financier had somehow pulled off a Florida comeback.
Others, meanwhile, joked about long-running conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein’s death was not a suicide but the result of shadowy forces. “I’m sorry to hear about your car accident next week man,” one commentator quipped.
The striking resemblance to Epstein only added fuel to ongoing speculation, particularly given the continued intrigue surrounding Epstein’s death. The disgraced financier died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 — a death officially ruled a suicide — yet one that still sparks debate online.
The case has remained in the spotlight as the US Department of Justice releases additional batches of Epstein-related files under pressure from lawmakers and new disclosure requirements. Still, not all records have been fully revealed, with some portions remaining heavily redacted beyond victims’ names.
