Newly unsealed legal documents have revealed that the former Barclays chief executive, Jes Staley, and the former US Treasury Secretary, Larry Summers, were appointed to manage the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Documents Detail Executor Appointments
The filings, published by the US Department of Justice, include several versions of Epstein's last will and testament. They show the disgraced financier intended for the two high-profile figures to take responsibility for his affairs after his death.
Staley's name first appears in a 2012 version of the will as a "successor executor," a role that would only become active if primary executors were unable to serve. However, in later wills dated 2013 and 2014, he is listed as a full executor. Summers is named as a successor executor in the 2014 document.
Neither man is listed in what appears to be the final version of the will from 2019. Epstein died in a New York prison cell in August of that year while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors.
Deepening Questions Over Relationships
The revelations intensify scrutiny over the nature and extent of both men's connections to Epstein. Staley is already prohibited from working in the UK's financial industry. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed the ban after concluding he deliberately minimised his relationship with the convicted criminal.
The FCA's investigation was triggered by the discovery of over 1,200 emails exchanged between Staley and Epstein. The regulator found their relationship was "indeed close" and extended beyond professional boundaries.
During a tribunal hearing in March 2025, where Staley challenged his industry ban, he was questioned about his role. He stated he had "declined it and refused to be a trustee" of the estate. In later testimony, he said, "I refused to be executor to his estate." An executor is responsible for carrying out a will's instructions, while a trustee manages assets.
Fallout and Denials
Staley resigned as Barclays CEO in 2021 after the FCA's probe became public. The ban was formally enforced in 2023.
For Larry Summers, the eminent economist, the documents present a renewed challenge. He stepped down from a teaching position at Harvard University in late 2024 after earlier document releases indicated he maintained contact with Epstein into 2019.
A spokesperson for Summers addressed the latest findings, stating, "Mr Summers had absolutely no knowledge that he was included in an early version of Epstein’s will and had no involvement in his financial matters or the administration of his estate."
The Guardian approached representatives for Jes Staley for comment on the newly released files.
