Sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein advised JPMorgan executive Jes Staley on his career and relations with financial power players in Britain, China, and the Middle East, even as Epstein was jailed for soliciting minors in Florida, new emails reveal.
The documents—contained in legal filings on Tuesday as part of the U.S. Virgin Island’s lawsuit against JPMorgan—indicate Epstein connected Staley to a host of high-profile pals including Britain’s Prince Andrew and Dubai businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. He also invited him to meetings at Davos with Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and Columbia University president Lee Bollinger, who was on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Epstein may have facilitated a get-together with JPMorgan bosses and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, too. In March 2011, one JPMorgan employee wrote to Staley and another high-level executive, “Against all odds, we have been granted a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu.” Staley forwarded the message to Epstein and wrote, “Thanks,” to which the convicted sex offender replied, “surprisee suprise.”
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The exchanges were part of JPMorgan’s 2019 internal review of Epstein’s communications with Staley and other bank employees. In its report, the financial institution noted that Staley “appears to have a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, regularly communicating with him and seeking advice from him including while Epstein is incarcerated. Other employees also communicate with Epstein intermittently on a variety of matters.”
The documents also peeled back more layers of Staley’s creepy bromance with Epstein.
JPMorgan’s own compliance officials noted in a 2019 email that Epstein sent payments to women in his circle around the same time Staley emailed him about his travels.
When Staley wrote to Epstein in August 2009 that he’d be in London, Epstein asked if he’d need anything while he was there. Staley replied, “Yep.” The same day, JPMorgan internal emails show, one of Epstein’s JPMorgan accounts wired $3,000 to a woman who “appears to be associated with a ballet company in Lithuania called Baltic Ballet.”
The same woman received $2,000 from Epstein in January 2009, around the time Staley said he'd visit the trafficker in Palm Beach, the documents reveal.
In January 2010—while Epstein was on house arrest in Florida—Staley wrote, “Fun tonight. What do we do next?????”
Epstein replied soon after, saying his driver whom he described as “former dea [sic]” and “armed,” would pick him up in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
Epstein continued, “helicopter also available for a tour around , … remember I own the two big marinas.. yacht haven grand, in st thomas and the marina at red hook… you can use my atv’s jet ski ,gym etc.” Later that month, Staley wrote to Epstein, “Arrived at your harbor. Someday, we have to do this together.”
According to the JPMorgan memo, Epstein appeared to help Staley with graduate school admissions at Columbia University for his daughter. While the name of the student was redacted in the document, The Wall Street Journal identified her as Staley’s child. (Emails obtained by The Daily Beast also reveal that in 2015, Staley emailed Epstein that his then twenty-something daughter “wants to sit with you to talk about here [sic] future.” A follow-up email listed an appointment with the woman.)
In November 2010, the memo states, Staley sent the young woman’s resume to Epstein, who replied, “she can sit with Richard Axel when I get back, he won the Nobel prize.. he has guaranteed me.” Axel is a Columbia professor and molecular biologist.
Staley, in a February 2011 message, told Epstein that he “spent an hour w the President.” The memorandum notes that it’s “unclear if the reference is to the President of Columbia, POTUS, or other.” But the financial executive sang Epstein’s praises a month later, referring to his wife’s appreciation and Epstein’s punishment for his sex crimes.
“Deby and I were talking tonight about what you have meant to me and to [redacted],” Staley wrote. “You have paid a price for what has been accused. But we know what u have done for us. And we count you as one of our deepest friends. And most honest of people. Thanks, Jes.”
“Family,” Epstein replied.
The documents reveal that Epstein apparently tried to use his growing bond with the Staleys to get the boyfriend of one woman in his orbit a job at JPMorgan.
“I would very much appeciate [sic] it if we can get him in a training program for private banking,, he is responsible 27, and very personable,” Epstein wrote in April 2010, “he could be a great asset eventually to your florida office.” JPMorgan’s document pointed out that the man “was one of the most frequent visitors of Epstein while he was incarcerated” in Florida.
Epstein frequently name-dropped wealthy friends in his chats with Staley, and the duo traded intel and advice via email on courting them.
After Staley gushed about a visit to Epstein’s island in January 2011, the sex offender replied, “do you want to join a gates dinner in davos on wed.?” Epstein asked Staley about the tech mogul again shortly after: “I will have gates alone for two days.. any input?” “As a start, I still like a lot your connection of Gates, nuclear energy, and the middle east,” Staley replied.
Staley and Epstein also forwarded each other emails on Hyatt Hotels billionaire Tom Pritzker, who was apparently preparing a project with JPMorgan.
“A picture tells a thousand words,” Pritzker wrote to Epstein in January 2011. “Here is your happy birthday photo. What do all the people in this picture (save one) have in common? Tjp.” Epstein forwarded the message to Staley.
In spring of 2010, Staley forwarded emails to Epstein about “what appears to be a family office restructuring” related to Pritzker, the memorandum states.
Epstein additionally emailed Staley over the years about meetings with David Gergen, a former adviser to American presidents including Bill Clinton, as well as Virgin Group magnate Richard Branson. In a January 2011 message to British politician Peter Mandelson and Staley, Epstein wrote, “had breakfast with Richard branson,, he is also a big fan of africa.”
Epstein told Staley in October 2009 that he’d met with someone tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Sorry, didn’t get back to you last night.. had sultan and one of putins people here,” Epstein wrote.
Among the other boldfaced names was Prince Andrew.
“Ask Andrew about tje [sic] island, tell him about your boat plans,” Epstein wrote to Staley in June 2009, apparently in reference to the beleaguered royal.
The following year, the emails show, Epstein tried setting up multiple meetings with the banking honcho and the prince. In June 2010, Epstein wrote to Staley: “Andrew just sat next to me at dinner. We will try to connect this week. Any word on M? This is fun.” (Who or what “M” is remains unclear.)
Epstein also played matchmaker between the Duke of York and multimillionaire Ripplewood Holdings financier Tim Collins. The trafficker wrote to Staley that August, “andrew will call tim , [sic] if you give me the numbers.”
“Jes Staley's office called saying last night Jes met up with Prince Andrew and Tim Collins,” wrote Epstein’s executive assistant around this time. “Tim Collins office calles [sic] Jes’ office asking for Prince Andrew's contact number. Jes' office does not have Prince Andrew's number and have called us requesting it. Please advise.”
In September 2010, Epstein informed Staley that “prince Andrew would like much more to represent casanov in china than tim Collins.” JPMorgan’s internal report notes that, “This may relate to JPMC Cazenove business in London.”
Three months later, Epstein forwarded Staley an email from the British royal “with an inquiry the Prince received from Aria Petroleum looking for a $200 million working capital line,” the report states, adding, “Since the company is based in the US Prince Andrew appeared to suggest Epstein connect them with a US bank.”
“Wishing you a very happy Christmas and New Year,” Prince Andrew wrote to Staley days before the holiday in 2010. “Sorry to have missed you this week. I had to go to Afghanistan so couldn’t be here and couldn’t tell you why or where I was. Hope to catch up sometime after the New Year. I will be at Davos as usual.”
“Be safe there,” Staley replied. “I bet it helps people that you’re there. I will get u the schedule of the JP Morgan stuff.” He continued, “I must say, getting a Christmas note from The Duke of York is sort of cool. Sorry we missed in London. I was there to announce or deal in Canary Warf [sic]. We got pretty good press. Maybe in London the next time I’m there, I could show u the building we bought. (The old Lehman building). The mayor of London was funny as always.”
In February 2011, Epstein told Staley, “andrew asked for your london schedule.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to JPMorgan for comment.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General told The Daily Beast in a statement, “Jeffrey Epstein connected JPMorgan Chase’s executives with some of the world’s most high profile and wealthy individuals.”“The USVI’s complaint alleges that, in return for bringing valuable new clients into the bank, JPMorgan Chase, through its senior executives, including Mary Erdoes, ignored the evidence of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and traded victims’ public safety for its own profits.”
