Very generally speaking, it costs about $5M to start a U.S. bank. Someone of Epstein's personal wealth, not to mention the assets under his control, would not

Very generally speaking, it costs about $5M to start a U.S. bank. Someone of Epstein's personal wealth, not to mention the assets under his control, would not have a problem starting a bank easily. His criminal record would have been an issue in the U.S., however, and any regulator worth their salt should have found it and denied the charter accordingly.