When a company needs to raise a large amount of capital, it hires an investment bank like Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley. Think of them as the matchmakers of the financial world. For that service, the most prestigious investment banks on earth charge between 1.5 and 2 percent of the capital they place. If you are raising $1 billion, you pay Goldman Sachs $15 to $20 million, and for that price you get the full resources of one of the most powerful financial institutions ever created, with offices in every major capital, relationships with every sovereign wealth fund, and a compliance department that ensures everything is documented and legal.

Epstein was charging approximately 7.5 percent. Three to five times the Goldman Sachs rate.