A "black book" allegedly related to the deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, said to contain the names and contact details of 221 people associated with him, is set to be auctioned, media reports said.

The contentious book, reportedly dating back to 1997, is slated for private sale by Alexander Historical Auctions on May 15. Its legitimacy will be verified through a forensic examiner's assessment, reported the American news website Daily Beast.

Bidders are assured confidentiality as they vie for possession of the item, which is anticipated to fetch over $200,000, as stated by Bill Panagopulos, the auction house's proprietor.

"There are no comparables for the sale of this kind of relic. But, based on my experience, if I'm pressed to offer a price I would think it would be $100,000 to $200,000, and up," he told the Daily Beast.

As per the report, notable figures allegedly linked to the Epstein Islands scandal include former US President Donald Trump, billionaire and New York businessman John Catsimatidis, and Suzanne Ircha, co-owner of the New York Jets.

Additional individuals reportedly mentioned are billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn, Cristina Greeven (spouse of former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo), former Playboy CEO Christie Hefner, and Marty Peretz, a former publisher of The New Republic and former political advisor to Al Gore.

A 2021 Business Insider article asserted that the older black book comprises 221 fresh names not previously documented in the initial book.

To this day, the origins of Epstein's black book remain murky. It was stumbled upon by a female musician during the 1990s.

Jeffrey Epstein, a financier who wielded considerable influence both in the United States and internationally, faced accusations of sexually assaulting young girls. However, his suicide in a New York prison in 2019 put an end to his prosecution.

In January, a New York judge revealed the identities of individuals associated with Epstein in court documents. Notably mentioned in these documents, which span nearly 1,000 pages of depositions and statements, were former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, neither of whom have faced accusations of wrongdoing in the case.

The list of approximately 150 individuals encompasses numerous associates of Epstein, previously anonymized as John or Jane Does in a lawsuit filed against Epstein's former confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell.

This disclosure forms part of a defamation lawsuit between Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022, and Virginia Giuffre, a plaintiff against both Maxwell and Epstein.