PALM BEACH, FL. (THECOUNT) — A Florida man who bears a striking resemblance to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has gone viral after an unsuspecting bystander filmed him cruising down Interstate 95 in his convertible — and the internet has not been able to let it go.
The silver-haired driver, who has since dubbed himself “Palm Beach Pete,” was filmed by a fellow motorist who can be heard shouting, “Epstein is alive! Epstein is alive!” The clip sent social media into a frenzy, with the video quickly racking up millions of views.
Pete addressed the chaos in an Instagram video that has since been liked more than one million times. “Some dude randomly filmed me while I was driving on I-95, unbeknownst to me,” he explained. “And the next thing I know, I’m a viral sensation. I’m not Jeffrey Epstein. I’m Palm Beach Pete!”
Commenters were equal parts amused and amazed at the likeness. “Dude has to get this constantly. Time to grow a beard,” one user wrote. Others leaned into the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death — officially ruled a suicide while he awaited federal sex trafficking charges — joking that the notorious financier had staged a Sunshine State comeback.
Not all of the humor was lighthearted. In a nod to the darker conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein was murdered rather than died by suicide, one commenter quipped to Pete: “I’m sorry to hear about your car accident next week, man.”
The viral moment arrives as Epstein’s name continues to dominate headlines. The U.S. Department of Justice has been releasing batches of files tied to Epstein following pressure from lawmakers and a federal disclosure law. Not all documents have been made public, and some material remains redacted beyond victims’ names — keeping the story very much alive in the national conversation.
Epstein, who maintained a home in Palm Beach, Florida, died in August 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, though it has remained a subject of intense public skepticism and ongoing conspiracy theories ever since.
As for Palm Beach Pete — he appears to be taking his unexpected fame in stride, one viral Instagram post at a time.
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