In the 90’s, Donald Trump purchased a girl from Jeffrey Epstein for $22,500. This is evidenced by a photo of her and Epstein holding up a novelty check at Mar-a-Lago.
In 2025, the House Oversight Committee released the photo but redacted her face was redacted. Later, the DOJ released a similar photo but similarly redacted her face. All of this has led to massive speculation: who is she?
In August 2025, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Jeffrey Epstein’s estate demanding, among other things, a book that Ghislaine Maxwell compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The book contained notes from his family and friends.
The estate produced a copy of the two-volume book, titled “The First Fifty Years.” It contains letters, notes, photos, memorabilia and poems from people including Alan Dershowitz, Bill Clinton, Leon Black, Jean-Luc Brunel, Peter Mandelson, Donald Trump, Leslie Wexner and Mort Zuckerman—to name more than a few.
One letter is from real estate mogul Joel Pashcow, who submitted a copy of the picture of himself, Epstein, a third unidentified man, and the girl holding up the novelty check at Mar-a-Lago (depicted above).
Alongside the photo, Pashcow wrote:
Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells “fully depreciated” [ redacted ] to Donald Trump for $22,500. Showed early “people skills” too. Even though I handled the deal I didn’t get any of the money or the girl!
Earlier this year, the Justice Department released a similar photo of Epstein and the redacted girl holding the $22,500 check. She is wearing the same black hat and dress. The photo is in a frame with the words “Once in a Blue Moon” repeated around the border.
The back of the framed photo is dated “97,” in handwriting alongside a long redaction mark. (EFTA00003935)
Obviously, this is a photo of the framed picture. I believe it was originally taken by Palm Beach police detectives in 2005, when they raided Epstein’s residence on Brillo Way. The image eventually ended up in the hands of the FBI and the Justice Department, probably around the time federal prosecutors were considering charging Epstein with federal crimes—which resulted in the infamous 2008 non-prosecution agreement.
But oddly, when the Justice Department released the image earlier this year, Midelfart’s face was redacted. Why?
The Epstein Files Transparency Act only authorizes the attorney general (then Pam Bondi, now Todd Blanche) to withhold or redact the segregable portions of records that —
(A) contain personally identifiable information of victims or victims’ personal and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;
(B) depict or contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 2252–2252A;
(C) would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary;
(D) depict or contain images of death, physical abuse, or injury of any person; or
(E) contain information specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order.
Midelfart is not known to have alleged that she is a victim of Epstein. Nor is there any known active federal investigation into, or ongoing prosecution of, Epstein or any of his co-conspirators. In fact, the Justice Department has expressly stated it is not investigating these matters.
Some say the fact that Midelfart left Epstein for Trump caused tension between the men. But this does not make a lot of sense because why would Epstein prominently display such a photo in his Palm Beach mansion?
Democratic staff report from House Judiciary Committee indirectly reveals the photo is of Midelfart
In late October 2026, Democratic staffers on the House Judiciary Committee released a report, “We Have Certain Things in Common, Jeffrey,” which indirectly reveals the girl was Norwegian heiress Celina Midelfart.
This raises many questions. Why did the House Oversight Committee and the Justice Department redact her name and images in the first place? She is not known to be one of Epstein’s victims.
The report identifies “Jane Doe 5—20 Years Old,” who is obviously Celina Midelfart. Here is what the report states:
Public reports indicate that in 1995 and 1997, Jane Doe 5, a Scandinavian college student at NYU, was photographed with Jeffrey Epstein at Mar-a-Lago—in one picture, kissing Jeffrey Epstein. The Epstein flight logs show Jane Doe 5 and Epstein traveled on Epstein’s jet more than a dozen times during this period: a number of those flights list only her and Epstein as passengers. Following this relationship, Jane Doe 5 seemingly entered into a relationship with Donald Trump. In 1998, she is pictured in photos with Donald Trump and his family at Mar-a-Lago and appears to have rented an apartment in a Trump property. It was reported that Donald Trump was “dating” Jane Doe 5 when he met Melania Knauss, then a model working for Paolo Zampolli. While there is no evidence available that Jane Doe 5 ever experienced misconduct at either Epstein or Trump’s hands, her relationship with both men is significant. Epstein apparently dated her while she was at NYU, a school attended by many Epstein survivors, and Donald Trump dated her immediately thereafter.
The more sinister and telling detail is that Jane Doe 5 is the woman identified in Epstein’s birthday book as the one that he “sold” to Donald Trump. One page of the birthday book depicts Epstein holding a check, with the caption: “Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women sells ‘fully depreciated’ [woman’s redacted name] to Donald Trump for $22,500.”100 Jane Doe 5’s real name lies under the redactions. People familiar with Donald Trump’s relationship stated that she “became a point of tension in Epstein and Trump’s friendship” and Epstein reportedly complained “that he believed the woman enjoyed spending time with him over Trump, and that he was bitter when she ended up choosing to go out with Trump.”
It is unclear why the check was for $22,500. It is possible that the number is a reference to Jane Doe 5’s age, as she was roughly 23 years old when her relationship with Epstein ended and her relationship with Donald Trump began. In that case, it would indicate that the potential joke is Donald Trump paying $1,000 for every year of her age when she started dating Epstein at approximately 22.5 years old.
This reference to Jane Doe 5 is buttressed by the birthday picture and note Trump drew for Epstein, indicating a shared interest in young women. In other words, multiple documents in the same scrap book reference Epstein and Trump sharing a sexual interest in younger women at a time when Epstein was engaged in serial acts of sexual molestation.
Epstein himself recognized that this connection was of interest to reporters: in an email on December 8, 2015, he sent a New York Times reporter an email describing Jane Doe 5 as “my 20-year-old girlfriend in 1993, that after two years I gave to Donald.” Epstein also gave the reporter Jane Doe 5’s name to “pass on” to another journalist, seemingly so she could discuss the shared relationship with him and Donald Trump.
Who is Celina Midelfart?
Midelfart is a Norwegian heiress. In the 1990s, she studied linguistics in France and finance at the London School of Economics.
Midelfart appears to have first linked up with Epstein around the summer of 1994, when her name first appears on his flight logs. She is documented as having flown on Epstein’s private plane from Palm Beach to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey with Epstein, Dawn DeVito and Sophie Biddle.
Midelfart visits Bill Clinton in the White House (with Epstein)
In July 1994, she flew with Epstein to Washington, D.C. Midelfart’s name appears twice alongside Epstein’s in the White House visitor logs dated July 28, 1994. In 2022, the Daily Mail reported: “According to visitor logs, Midelfart . . . entered the White House with Epstein twice on July 28, 1994, at 2pm and 6:30pm.”
Epstein was known to have taken seven other young women with him to the White House to see Bill Clinton, including Eva Andersson, Francis Jardine, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jennifer Garrison, Shelley Gafni, Jennifer Driver and Lyoubov Orlova.
In the fall of 1994, Midelfart began attending the London School of Economics and Political Science. She does not appear in the flight logs again until 1996.
Midelfart returns to America
In the summer of 1996, Midelfart appears to have returned to America and began frequenting Epstein’s private jet, flying back and forth between Palm Beach and Teterboro, New Jersey, one of the closest commuter airports to Epstein’s New York townhouse.
In August 1996, Midelfart transferred to New York University’s School of Business, where she majored in finance and economics. She traveled back and forth between New York and Palm Beach with Epstein a couple of times that fall.
In January 1997, Midelfart flew with Epstein, Nathan Myhrvold, Alan Dershowitz and Adam Dershowitz to Titusville, Florida, presumably to see an early morning launch of the space shuttle Atlantis from the Kennedy Space Center.
In February 1997, Midelfart was seen at Mar-a-Lago kissing Epstein during a reception for a charity pro-am tennis tournament.
Throughout 1997, Midelfart flew at least 13 more times with Epstein from New York (TEB) to destinations including Long Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Palm Beach, New Mexico and Washington, D.C.
The photo of Midelfart and Epstein holding the $22,500 check at Mar-a-Lago was likely taken in November 1997.
Midelfart was seen with Epstein in New York at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s exhibit “The Warhol Look” on Nov. 6, 1997.
The last time Midelfart appears in Epstein’s flight logs is Nov. 29, 1997, when she returned from Palm Beach to New York (TEB).
Midelfart was with Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump at a Valentine’s Day birthday party for Ivana Trump at Chaos in New York City on Feb. 12, 1998. The following day, she was with Donald Trump at the Waldorf Astoria hotel when Blaine Trump was honored with the Marietta Tree Award for Public Service. On April 6, 1998, Midelfart and Donald Trump attended the Beauty Ball.
In June 1998, Midelfart graduated summa cum laude from NYU with a major in finance.
Trump makes his move on Melania while girlfriend Midelfart is in the restroom
After graduating from NYU, Midelfart must have stayed in New York City for a while as she continued to date Donald Trump. During Fashion Week in September 1998, Trump took Midelfart to an after-party at the Kit Kat Club, purportedly hosted by Paolo Zampolli, the owner of ID Model Management. Zampolli was then managing Melania Knavs, a model from Slovenia.
When Trump and Midelfart walked upstairs in the club, Midelfart slipped away to the restroom. That’s when Trump saw Zampolli’s then-girlfriend, model Edit Molnar, sitting at a VIP table next to Melania Knavs. Trump made his move on Melania and soon afterward dumped Midelfart.
Where is Midelfart now?
Midelfart is the executive chairman of Midelfart Capital AS. She was previously a partner at Magnipartners Ltd. and worked in the offshore drilling and liquefied natural gas sectors. She holds a 10% ownership interest in, and is a board member of, Swedish consumer finance bank Avida AB, and is a member of the board of trustees at Oslo International School. Midelfart is also a member of the board of SEA 1 Offshore. She previously served on the boards of the world’s largest fish farming company, Mowi AS, and the Swedish health and beauty care company Midsona AB.
Midelfart has had some notable suitors, including Norway’s former Crown Prince Haakon, Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, Wimbledon FC co-owner Kjell Inge Røkke, banking heir Nathaniel Rothschild, pop star Robbie Williams and Tor Olav Trøim, with whom she had a son. Midelfart’s father, John Fredriksen, had a $10 billion maritime empire.
If you enjoyed this article please leave a meaningful comment, like it, and restack it. Also check out my other article 5 Surprising Takeaways from the New Trump-Epstein Report.
I also discuss this topic in Episode 6 of my podcast available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and more.
I make the source documents used for this article available to paid subscribers through the paywall below.