Newly released documents have cast fresh doubt on evidence given by former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley about his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The papers, made public this month by the US Department of Justice as part of a large release of Epstein-related files, list Staley as one of three trustees of the Jeffrey E Epstein 2014 Trust. The 23-page agreement, dated November 2014, carries what appears to be Staley’s signature alongside those of Epstein and two other associates.
A separate amendment to the same trust, also signed by Epstein and others, is dated May 2015. Staley’s signature on that document is dated 29 September 2015. The trust set out tens of millions of dollars in bequests and loan waivers that would take effect after Epstein’s death.
Trustees were entitled to an annual payment of $250,000 (£183,000), although no evidence has surfaced to show whether Staley ever received any money, as per a report from The Guardian. This 2014 trust was later cancelled and replaced by a new version in 2019, which does not name Staley as a trustee.
Questions Over Court Testimony
The documents appear to conflict with statements Staley made under oath last year during a failed legal challenge to a lifetime ban imposed on him by UK regulators. The ban, handed down by the Financial Conduct Authority, stemmed from his long-running relationship with Epstein.
According to the report, during cross-examination in March 2025, a lawyer for the regulator asked: “Mr Epstein also wanted to name you as trustee of the Epstein estate, didn’t he?” Staley answered: “And I turned it down.” When pressed further about whether he had informed Barclays of the request, Staley replied: “I believe this happened very early on while I was at Blue Mountain, and again, I declined it and refused to be a trustee.” He added that turning down the role showed he was not a close personal friend of Epstein’s.
The newly surfaced trust papers, first reported by the Financial Times, indicate Staley did serve as a trustee, at least on paper, for nearly a year, from late 2014 until the document was revoked sometime after his September 2015 signature.
Staley’s Career Path and Epstein Link
Staley spent more than 30 years at JP Morgan before leaving in 2013 to join hedge fund Blue Mountain Capital. Barclays announced his appointment as chief executive in October 2015. He stepped down from the bank in 2021 after UK regulators opened an investigation into his ties to Epstein.
Staley has consistently described his relationship with Epstein as “close professional” rather than personal. In 2025 he said he was unaware of Epstein’s “monstrous activities.” Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
