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Prince Andrew was among a number of high-profile contacts of Jeffrey Epstein who were told that the child sex offender considered the former Barclays boss Jes Staley to be a close friend and like “family”, a court has heard
A package of emails presented at the upper tribunal in London marked the first time that the prince was explicitly mentioned in the case launched by Staley in hopes of overturning a lifetime ban from working in the City.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) claims Staley lied about the depth of his ties to Epstein in 2019, when Barclays wrote a letter to the regulator saying the pair “did not have a close relationship”.
The watchdog presented the emails during a testy hearing on Wednesday, with Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC saying they illustrated how the late financier insisted to multiple people that the pair were close.
One message, sent by Epstein to Prince Andrew in May 2010, said: “I know you are seeing Jes Staley this morning, he is like family and can be trusted 100%.” Andrew has faced fierce criticism over his ties to Epstein, who died in August 2019 while awaiting trial over charges on trafficking underage girls for sex.
Another email sent by the boss of the logistics and ports company DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, in September 2009 to Epstein said: “Did you see your friend Jes Staley just got promoted to #2 at JP Morgan?” Epstein replied: “It was not an accident.”
Epstein had emailed the DP World chief in February 2009, saying: “Jes Staley tells me he is to see you a week from Monday … he is one of us.”
Mulcahy put to Staley that it was unrealistic that the financier “would tell multiple people that you were a close friend and like a brother if you weren’t that close”. Staley denied this, saying he believed Epstein “would willingly mislead and lie about our relationship”.
The court was later shown a series of emails in which the pair referred to each other as “family”, and it emerged that Staley had been asked to become a trustee of Epstein’s estate, although Staley says he declined.
Mulcahy put it to Staley that he appeared to keep in “regular contact” with Staley, and tried to arrange visits with the financier even after Staley left JP Morgan, where Epstein had been a client.
The FCA’s lawyer said it had also become a “tradition” for Staley to message Epstein annually on New Year’s Eve until 2014. One of those messages, sent by Staley on 13 December 2012, said: “I’ve tried calling a few times, even though the service … is pretty spotty. Thanks for all the friendship this year. You were enormously kind and supportive. All looks good for next year, more freedom, more deals, more building, more things we can do together. Say hi to everyone. Happy new year.”
Staley appeared angry and agitated during the proceedings as attention turned to Epstein’s relationship with Staley’s daughter, particularly after the FCA showed emails suggesting the financier had been “pulling strings” to support her through her academic career and PhD.
Staley twice asked the judge for a break – though retracted the first of those requests – as he accused the FCA of presenting private information about his daughter, saying that the line of questioning was “completely unnecessary”, adding that she “accomplished what she did … on the back of her own skill”.
Mulcahy said: “You’re the one that said your relationship was professional and based on the assistance to your daughter … I need to explore it to get to the connection of you and Mr Epstein.”
The court was also shown an email Staley forwarded to his daughter, in which he referred to Epstein as “uncle Jeffrey”.
The FCA’s lawyer also put to Staley that his relationship with the financier had come at a cost, particularly after Epstein served jail time in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. She suggested this included his financial life, referring to a US deposition in which Staley said his “activity with JP Morgan has been limited because of my association with Epstein”.
Staley told the court in response: “If it was a limitation it was following the FCA’s investigation.” Staley told the court in response.
Mulcahy asked whether it would have been “easier not to be Mr Epstein’s friend”, Staley answered: “Yes.”
The former Barclays boss will continue giving evidence until the end of the hearing, which is scheduled to continue until Friday.
