Palm Beach Pete
American social media influencer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Simel (born 1954 or 1955), nicknamed Palm Beach Pete, is an American social media influencer and political candidate. He is best known for his resemblance to Jeffrey Epstein, which he went viral for in 2026.
1954 or 1955 (age 71–72)[1]
Palm Beach Pete | |
|---|---|
Simel in 2026 | |
| Born | Peter Simel 1954 or 1955 (age 71–72)[1] |
| Occupation | Social media influencer |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Years active | 2026–present |
| Followers | 286k |
| TikTok information | |
| Page | |
| Years active | 2026–present |
| Followers | 936K |
| Last updated: June 5, 2026 | |
| Website | voteforpalmbeachpete |
Life and career
Peter Simel is originally from New York.[2] He attended Syracuse University, which he graduated from in 1977.[1] He worked in commercial real estate in New York City prior to retirement[3] and played in the NCAA Division I men's tennis championships.[4]
In 2011, Simel had an appearance in The Real Housewives of New York City season 4, where he attends a party and greets Sonja Morgan.[3] He went viral due to his resemblance to the late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.[2][3]
Simel went viral again in March 2026 due to the resemblance.[5] He has been referred to as Epstein's doppelgänger.[6] A video posted to TikTok by another user showed Simel driving in a car on the I-95 in Florida, while the user says "Epstein is alive".[4][5][6] The video garnered over 10 million views on TikTok,[7] and had been posted during discussions surrounding the Epstein files.[8]
Users on social media dubbed the then-unidentified Simel as "Palm Beach Pete".[9] The video fueled conspiracy theories relating to Epstein's death, which happened in August 2019.[9] Following the virality, Simel created an Instagram account under the moniker and clarified that he was not Epstein.[5][10] Simel has stated that he believes Epstein is dead, contrary to conspiracy theories, and also called him "such a vile human being".[11] On March 24, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as himself.[3] In an interview with NewsNation, Simel stated that his social media following were mostly members of Generation Z.[2]
2028 Palm Beach mayoral campaign
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In May 2026, Simel announced his intentions to run for mayor in Palm Beach, Florida, in the 2028 elections.[1] On a podcast, Simel stated that as mayor, he intends to fund expansion projects for pickleball and padel courts, offer free dog-walking, Botox, and "mother-in-law therapy", and lease residents a convertible vehicle for a year, free of cost.[5] He also launched merchandise to support his campaign.[1]