Who is Karyna Shuliak, the woman Epstein left a diamond ring ‘in contemplation of marriage’?
Karyna Shuliak, the woman identified as Jeffrey Epstein‘s longtime girlfriend, has come under renewed public attention following the release of millions of pages of investigative files that shed light on their nearly eight-year relationship.Shuliak was the last person Epstein called before he died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019.She met Epstein in 2011 after moving from Belarus to New York on a student visa. The documents show that the two developed a close relationship, with Epstein referring to her as his “favorite”, providing financial support, and helping her pursue her goal of becoming a dentist, as cited by The New York Times.The records also indicate that he transferred nearly $1 million to her over the years and sent money to her parents in Belarus.
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Epstein had reportedly assisted Shuliak in gaining admission to Columbia University’s dental school after an initial rejection and later paid for her tuition. They also describe how he arranged a same-sex marriage between Shuliak and one of his assistants, which would enable her to acquire a green card. A congressional report later questioned whether the marriage was “illusory”, though immigration authorities have not challenged her citizenship.Federal prosecutors’ emails show that Epstein bought Broadway tickets for The Lion King for Shuliak and her roommate, took them out to restaurants, and arranged a helicopter tour of Manhattan. By July 2011, Shuliak had visited Epstein’s New Mexico ranch and, months later, his private island in the US Virgin Islands.Shortly before his death in 2019, Epstein amended his will to leave Shuliak a substantial share of his then-estimated $600 million fortune, including a large diamond ring described in a handwritten note as being “in contemplation of marriage”. The exact amount she is expected to inherit remains unclear, as estate records show its value has since fallen to between $120 million and $200 million after payouts to victims, with dozens of beneficiaries, including his brother Mark Epstein’s children, also named in the will.Despite the prospect of a sizeable inheritance, Shuliak continued pursuing a career in dentistry. In 2023, she returned to New York to enrol in a postdoctoral dental programme at Columbia University, a requirement for obtaining a licence to practise in the state. According to admissions records reviewed by The New York Times, the same two dentists who had supported her admission in 2012 again assisted her, with Dr James Fine creating a special faculty internship for her at the Midtown Manhattan practice he shared with Dr Thomas Magnani.
