Billionaire Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and Thomas Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, are among several business magnates who have been subpoenaed in a high-profile lawsuit that investigates JPMorgan Chase’s ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The attorney general of the US Virgin Islands has requested that the legal representatives of Brin, Pritzker, Michael Ovitz, co-founder of Creative Arts Agency, and real estate tycoon Mort Zuckerman submit any documents or information related to the bank and Epstein.
Subpoenas issued for four individuals in JPMorgan Chase’s Epstein related lawsuit
The subpoenas are related to the US Virgin Islands’ civil lawsuit that accuses JPMorgan Chase of benefiting from Epstein’s notorious sex-trafficking ring while turning a blind eye to his immoral acts, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The bank has denied any wrongdoing and claims to be unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities.
According to the WSJ, it is not clear why the four individuals were asked to provide information related to JPMorgan Chase’s links with Epstein. However, such requests are often made during the discovery process for people who may have relevant information but are not directly involved in the case.
Brin, with a personal fortune estimated at $85.6 billion, co-founded Google and is one of the world’s richest people. Pritzker is the executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Group and has an estimated net worth of $5.3 billion.
Furthermore, Ovitz is a former Hollywood super-agent and co-founder of the Creative Artists Agency, while Zuckerman is a prominent real estate developer and current owner of US News & World Report. The Journal reported that the four men were unavailable for comment.
Epstein’s private islands and JPMorgan’s ties with Epstein lead to legal battles
Epstein possessed a couple of private islands located in the US Virgin Islands, reported the NY Post. While he was being held in custody and facing federal charges related to sex trafficking, he died in prison in 2019 under suspicious circumstances.
JPMorgan had Epstein as a client for around 13 years, from 2000 to 2013. The US Virgin Islands has filed a civil lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase seeking compensation, as one of two lawsuits that the bank is facing due to its association with the disgraced financier.
