A video from Florida had gone viral showing a man who has an uncanny resemblance to the late convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The clip quickly drew widespread attention online, with some even making unfounded claims that Epstein was still alive.

The man in the video has now been identified as Palm Beach Pete.

Addressing the rumours, he shared a video on his Instagram account, writing, “I am not Jeffery Epstein; I am Pete.” In a follow-up clip, he added, 'Hello, it’s Palm Beach Pete. Just wanted to thank everybody for the support and good vibes… I’m not Jeffrey Epstein.”

Epstein has been in the spotlight after the United States Department of Justice released the final tranche of files linked to the financier last year. Several prominent figures, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, were mentioned in the Epstein documents.

Epstein was found dead in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City in August 2019. While authorities ruled it a suicide, questions have continued to surface about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Who is Epstein’s lookalike Palm Beach Pete?

Palm Beach Pete, whose name is Peter, first gained attention after a viral video on I-95. Reacting to the buzz, he wrote, “I’m just Palm Beach Pete going to play some tennis today, going into town, and having lunch.”

According to several media reports, he is a former Division 1 tennis player and a gold medallist who was taken aback by the sudden attention. He also appeared on The Nicky Gordo Show and said, “I’m minding my own business driving down to a place in town, and the next thing you know, hundreds of millions of views.”

Pete also spoke to TMZ, confirming that he had lived and worked in New York City for some time. He revealed he had appeared on The Real Housewives of New York City. “Sonia Morgan gave me a kiss hello. A Generation Z person was watching it during COVID and posted it on TikTok with the banner, 'Why is Sonia Morgan kissing Jeffrey Epstein? 'That went viral,” he recalled.

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Pete added that he has children and often attends hockey games. “I was at a hockey game with my, with my kids, and I'm leaving the hockey game, and a guy has an Instagram account…and he filmed me, and there was a banner that said Jeffrey Epstein rising from the grave, that went viral,” he told TMZ.

Now retired, Pete said he previously worked in commercial real estate. “I love to play tennis. I'm very social. I'm not going to change,” he added.

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He also made a striking revelation about attending a party where Epstein was present. “I went to a couple of parties, and Epstein was there at a party, and he was kind of creepy,” Pete said, adding, “I never really encountered him and had a conversation with him. I just saw him at a party.”