The "well-connected financier" storyline generally falls apart on closer inspection. Of what is actually known and documented about how Epstein obtained his money, it was mostly through stock and real estate gifted to him by Les Wexner.
Exactly. Nobody really knows exactly what kind of "business" Epstein was doing. It is true that he presented himself like a financier, but the source of his money is actually unknown, other than the money that was provided by Les Wexner.
Do you really think billionaires don't know what kind of business people are in, when they start to talk to them? Even if he could fool a few of them, they would quickly figure out he was just show and no business. The fact that some of the most powerful people continued to visit him for so many years, and even after his crimes started to be discussed, is very strange.
The point of the story is not why they were meeting is as a well-connected financier. Its why were they meeting him, when it was easy to find out he was not.