On July 10, 2010, Jes Staley—then a senior executive at JPMorgan Chase—sent Jeffrey Epstein a brief email: “That was fun. Say hi to Snow White.” Epstein replied, “What character would you like next?” Staley responded: “Beauty and the Beast.”

Years later, court proceedings and regulatory investigations examined those exchanges as part of broader scrutiny into Staley’s relationship with Epstein. Between 2008 and 2012, records show the two men exchanged hundreds of emails, and Staley later faced questions from regulators about the nature of that connection. 📄

Staley has maintained that the references were harmless and that his relationship with Epstein was professional. However, in 2023, a U.K. regulator barred him from holding senior financial roles, citing findings that he had mischaracterized the extent of his ties to Epstein. JPMorgan also reached major settlements related to lawsuits connected to Epstein. ⚖️

Recently unsealed documents have renewed public attention, though interpretations of the language in the emails remain disputed. Authorities have not publicly confirmed that the phrases referenced criminal activity, and investigations into Epstein-related matters continue to generate legal and public debate.

As more records become available, questions remain about what those messages truly meant—and who knew what, and when.