Newly released US Justice Department documents have revealed that former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers were once named as executors of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate. The papers are part of a new batch of filings linked to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.
The documents include several versions of Epstein’s will. These were written between 2012 and 2014. These versions show that Epstein planned to place responsibility for his affairs in the hands of close associates if he died. Among those named were Staley and Summers. However, neither man appears in Epstein’s final will from 2019, according to The Guardian.
Who is Jes Staley?
James “Jes” Staley is an American banker who served as the chief executive of Barclays from 2015 until 2021. Before joining Barclays, he spent more than three decades at JPMorgan. Staley’s connection with Epstein has already cost him his career in UK banking. In 2021, he stepped down from Barclays after regulators launched an investigation into his closeness with Epstein. Two years later, according to CNN, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority banned him from holding senior roles in the financial sector and fined him £1.8 million.
The FCA also said Staley stayed in touch with Epstein even while preparing to take over as Barclays CEO. Staley has appealed the ban and insists he would never have associated with Epstein had he known the full extent of his crimes.
The newly released wills show Staley first appearing in a 2012 version as a “successor executor,” meaning he would step in only if others could not. In later versions from 2013 and 2014, he is listed as a full executor.
Who is Larry Summers?
Larry Summers served as US Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton and later as Director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama. He also had a long academic career at Harvard University, where he served as president and later as a professor.
According to the newly released documents, Summers was named as a successor executor in a 2014 version of Epstein’s will. His spokesperson has said Summers had no knowledge that he was included and played no role in Epstein’s finances or estate.
Summers’ ties to Epstein have repeatedly surfaced in recent months. In November, he stepped down from a teaching role at Harvard after earlier documents showed he remained in contact with Epstein until 2019. Reportedly, he stopped communicating shortly before Epstein’s arrest in July that year.
Speaking to CNN in November, Summers said he was “deeply ashamed” of his relationship with Epstein. He admitted continuing to communicate with him despite knowing about his criminal past and said he would pause all public appearances to focus on rebuilding trust. He said he would continue teaching but step back from public commitments.
Emails released by a House committee show Summers and Epstein exchanged messages between 2013 and 2019. These emails included discussions about politics, personal matters, and romantic advice. In some messages, Summers asked Epstein how to respond to women he was interested in.
More Epstein links resurface amid political pressure
The latest releases add to the growing pile of documents released from Epstein’s estate. Tens of thousands of emails have been made public by the House Oversight Committee. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has said he has asked the attorney general to investigate Epstein’s connections to high-profile figures.
Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution, including from a minor, died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019.