Jes Staley

JPMorgan Career

James E. “Jes” Staley joined JPMorgan in 1979 and rose to become Managing Director and head of Private Banking. While in that role, he became the primary relationship manager for Jeffrey Epstein’s accounts, which JPMorgan maintained from approximately 2003 to 2013.

Extensive email communications between Staley and Epstein presented in USVI and victim litigation against JPMorgan showed a close personal and professional relationship spanning years.

Barclays

After leaving JPMorgan, Staley was appointed CEO of Barclays plc in 2015, where he served until November 2021. His departure came after a UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) investigation into how he characterized his relationship with Epstein to the Barclays board. The regulators found his characterization differed from how they assessed the relationship.

Significance in JPMorgan Litigation

Staley’s close relationship with Epstein became a central issue in the 2023 USVI lawsuit against JPMorgan. Prosecutors and plaintiffs argued Staley’s position at JPMorgan had enabled the bank to maintain the Epstein account despite compliance red flags. JPMorgan settled for million; claims against Staley personally were also part of the litigation.

Outcome

Staley denied wrongdoing. He departed Barclays and faced ongoing regulatory scrutiny. The JPMorgan litigation named him as a significant figure in how the bank maintained the Epstein relationship.