Jes Staley is a prominent American banker who served as the Group Chief Executive of Barclays (2015–2021) and previously spent over 30 years at J.P. Morgan, where he rose to become the head of its investment bank.
- Institutional Defender: Staley was described as Jeffrey Epstein's "chief defender" within JP Morgan, helping him maintain his accounts even when internal compliance raised red flags.
- Personal Relationship: The two exchanged over 1,200 emails and maintained a close personal relationship, which ultimately led to Staley's resignation from Barclays following a regulatory investigation.
- Global Special Situations: Staley's career at JPM included involvement with a group called "Global Special Situations," which mirrors the "CEO Special Situations" role assumed by David Stern.
Evidence confirms that Jes Staley, David Stern, and Jeffrey Epstein operated as an interconnected network:
- Witan Group Liaison: In 2012, Epstein suggested a meeting for Staley with Anwar Ibrahim, identifying "DS" (David Stern) at Witan Group Hong Kong as the point of contact.
- The Palace Channel: Stern and Staley were communicated with via Epstein to facilitate high-level access. In one instance, Stern (while with Prince Andrew) asked Epstein for "news from Jes," leading Epstein to instruct Andrew to invite Staley to the palace.
- Institutional Bridge: Staley provided the JP Morgan institutional backing that allowed Stern's "Witan" strategy to scale.
Role in the "Invisible Pipeline"
Staley served as the Institutional Layer of the pipeline, providing the banking infrastructure and sovereign-level credibility required for the infrastructure and port deals managed by Stern and Epstein.