That is also possible.
He gathered dirt and put it out there for bid.
That would also create enemies wanting to see him dead and in some cases like the Clintons, also having the ability to kill him.
Except I'm not aware of Epstein having layers of personal security in New York.
He offered services to anyone who could afford it.
That is a very dangerous game to play. If Epstein had ventured into the spy-v-spy world, I don't see a foreign agency seeking to cover it's tracks waiting until Epstein had been incarcerated the second time to whack him. Would have been much easier to get at Epstein while he was still freely walking the streets.
I figure he had dirt even on those who hired him also. So he was covered and protected from all angles. I think what happened was when it looked like he might actually release info then not one of them were safe anymore which in turn slammed the door on his protections. It was finally a do or die situation for all those involved. The risk was now just too big for everyone so it was time to throw the tool away. It had outlived it’s usefulness and had become a huge liability instead of an asset.