Florida man mistaken for Jeffrey Epstein sends internet into frenzy: 'I'm just me being me'

21 Mar 2026 By foxnews

It may be the worst kind of mistaken identity, being confused with Jeffrey Epstein.

A Florida man is speaking out after a viral video of him driving a convertible sparked widespread speculation that he resembled disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The unidentified man, who calls himself "Palm Beach Pete" on social media, said he was blindsided after video of him cruising along a South Florida highway began circulating widely, fueling conspiracy theories that Epstein could still be alive.

In the clip, which has more than 10 million views, TikTok user Andrew Posey shouts, "Epstein is alive!"

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The video quickly gained traction online, with users commenting on what many described as an "uncanny" resemblance.

The viral moment taps into years of lingering public skepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's 2019 death.

The man later addressed the speculation directly in a video posted to Instagram with a new account called "@not.epstein," saying, "Good morning everybody, this is Palm Beach Pete from Palm Beach, Florida.

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"I want to thank everybody for the positive comments I got from saying I'm not Jeffrey Epstein. I'm so not Jeffrey Epstein, I'm me being me."

Pete also emphasized, "[Epstein is] a very bad person, what he did, obviously, and he is dead. And I'm alive."

Pete said his sudden internet fame began after he was unknowingly filmed while driving.

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"Some dude randomly filmed me while I was driving on I-95, unbeknownst to me," he said in a separate clip that later received 1 million likes, adding that his phone started "blowing up" soon after. "And the next thing I know, I'm a viral sensation."

Social media users flooded comment sections, with many stunned by the resemblance and others joking that Epstein had somehow staged a return.

One top commenter joked, "This is his innocent twin Effrey Jepstein."

Some commenters suggested he should change his appearance, while others referenced longstanding conspiracy theories about Epstein's death.

Images and video of Pete show a silver-haired man with facial features that closely resemble Epstein.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender with ties to powerful figures like former President Bill Clinton, died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though it has remained the subject of widespread public speculation and conspiracy theories.

Interest in Epstein has persisted in part due to ongoing document releases by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed in November.

Despite the viral attention, Pete maintained the situation was simply a case of mistaken identity.

"I'm just Palm Beach Pete … going to play some tennis today, going into town, have lunch," he said.

"Palm Beach Pete" did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.