Jay Clayton
Network
Jay Clayton
Timeline
All Connections
12 total
All Connections
12 totalClayton became Apollo Lead Independent Director Feb 2021 then Non-Executive Chairman after Black stepped down Mar 2021. Board position created as governance overhaul after Dechert report exposed Black 158M+ payments to Epstein.
Clayton represented Hoffman personally at Sullivan+Cromwell. Hoffman now named target in Bondi Epstein investigation directed to Clayton at SDNY. Direct conflict of interest.
Clayton advised Goldman at S+C on TARP bailout and Berkshire Hathaway investment during 2008 crisis. Wife Gretchen was Goldman VP 17 years.
Trump nominated Clayton SEC Chair 2017. Tried to install as SDNY USA June 2020 replacing Berman. Golf partners per LittleSis. Installed as SDNY USA April 2025.
Barr announced Clayton replacing Berman as SDNY USA June 19 2020 while Berman oversaw Epstein case and Goldman and JPM criminal probes. Berman refused. Trump fired him June 20. Clayton withdrew.
Clayton advised Bear Stearns on its fire sale to JPMorgan in 2008 at Sullivan+Cromwell. JPM is a named target in Bondi Epstein investigation that Clayton now leads.
S+C advised Bear Stearns on JPM fire sale March 2008. Clayton on S+C Management Committee. Epstein worked at Bear Stearns 1976-1981 under Ace Greenberg. Epstein held 55.7M in BSC stock and lost 22.6M in collapse. S+C would have had access to major shareholder data during the acquisition.
Barr attempted to install SEC Chairman Clayton as SDNY USA to replace Berman (Jun 2020). Clayton was Sullivan & Cromwell partner who had represented Deutsche Bank (Epstein's banker). Wall Street on Parade: 'Barr Fires Top Prosecutor Tries to Replace Him with Banks Former Lawyer.' Clayton withdrew after Berman firing controversy. The attempt to place DB's former lawyer atop SDNY — which was investigating Epstein's DB accounts — is a significant structural connection.
Clayton at S+C advised Bear Stearns on JPM fire sale. Staley at JPM then managed Epstein BSC settlement and forwarded internal JPM legal chain to Epstein. Both later faced Epstein-related consequences: Clayton to Apollo board then SDNY USA, Staley forced out of Barclays over Epstein ties.
Both SEC-to-Wall-Street revolving door. Clayton: S+C then SEC Chair. Cutler: SEC Enforcement Director 2001-2005 then JPM General Counsel. Cutler managed Epstein BSC settlement at JPM while Clayton was at S+C which had advised Bear Stearns. Cutler is now the one whose former role (SEC oversight) Clayton occupies at SDNY.
Ruemmler tracked Sullivan+Cromwell personnel moves and reported to Epstein. Dec 2017 email about Karen Seymour S+C to Goldman. Clayton was S+C partner on Management Committee at same time. No direct Clayton-Ruemmler communication found but shared S+C institutional nexus.
No direct communication found. But Epstein inner circle member Richard Kahn forwarded article about Clayton SEC nomination to Epstein Jan 19 2017. Clayton later joined board of Apollo whose founder paid Epstein 158M+. Clayton now leads SDNY Epstein investigation with multiple conflicts.
All Findings
11 total
All Findings
11 totalfinancial (4)
BSC SETTLEMENT AND ACCOUNT LABELS: As of Jan 2012, Epstein cash balances included FTC-JPM (Bear Stearns) 3,400,000 and DKI Atty Trust Acct (from BSC Settlement) 3,700,000 and HAZE Trust-JPM 5,100,000. The BSC Settlement funds (3.7M) flowed through Indyke attorney trust account. Bear Stearns account at JPM retained its Bear Stearns label 4 years after acquisition. Epstein had a Bear Stearns/JP Morgan lawyer meeting on May 23, 2011 per Lesley Groff schedule email. Total visible JPM accounts: 11.9M across 3 accounts. Harry Beller provided balances. The BSC settlement was part of the Individual Stock Drop Action class action per JPM internal emails.
WMB HOLDINGS: Clayton wife Gretchen and children hold stakes in WMB Holdings through family trusts. WMB Holdings parent shares address with Corporation Service Company at 2711 Centerville Road Suite 400 Wilmington DE. Estimated 4M+ annual dividends, approx 200M in assets based on 2pct yield calculation. CSC is registered agent for thousands of businesses some linked to Panama Papers. Clayton father-in-law Daniel Butler was CEO of CSC 1975-1998. Public Citizen requested Senate Banking Committee investigation March 2017. Potential 18 USC 208 conflict re executive branch.
Apollo board compensation for Clayton: K annual cash fee plus initial K in restricted stock units covering first 3 years plus K RSU each subsequent year. By 2024 proxy: ,375 cash + ,898 stock + ,500 other = ,773 total. Bloomberg reported Apollo lifted board member pay at least 20 percent after Epstein fallout in Feb 2021. Clayton was appointed Lead Independent Director same month, became Non-Executive Chairman when Leon Black stepped down March 2021.
BEAR STEARNS STOCK POSITIONS: Epstein held massive Bear Stearns stock position. Purchased 300,000 shares at 97.21 on 11/30/04 and additional shares at 106.26 on 07/14/05. Total purchase cost 55,728,004.33 (55.7M). Sold in tranches including 73,650 shares at 32.51 on 03/14/08, 20,000 at 34.93, 100,000 at 32.00 on 03/14/08, and final 100,000 at 3.35 on 03/17/08 (the JPM fire sale day). Total sales proceeds 33,079,369.60. NET LOSS 22,648,634.73. Clayton firm Sullivan+Cromwell was advising Bear Stearns on the JPM acquisition that destroyed this position.
legal (2)
BERMAN FIRING June 2020: AG Barr announced June 19, 2020 that Clayton would replace Geoffrey Berman as SDNY US Attorney. Berman was overseeing Epstein prosecution, Goldman Sachs 1MDB criminal probe, JPMorgan investigation, and Giuliani investigation. Berman refused to resign. Trump fired Berman June 20. Clayton withdrew from nomination. Audrey Strauss became acting USA. Ghislaine Maxwell arrested July 2, 2020 -- two weeks after Berman firing. Wall Street on Parade headline: As Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Face Criminal Probes Barr Fires Top Prosecutor Tries to Replace Him with Banks Former Lawyer Jay Clayton.
SDNY US ATTORNEY 2025 AND EPSTEIN PROBE: Clayton finally installed as SDNY US Attorney April 2025 by Trump (judges confirmed Aug 18 2025 after Senate stalled). AG Pam Bondi directed Clayton to investigate Epstein ties to Democrats specifically: Clinton, Summers, Reid Hoffman, JPMorgan. CONFLICTS: (1) Clayton was Apollo board chairman -- Leon Black paid Epstein 158M+, (2) Clayton represented Reid Hoffman at S+C -- Hoffman is named investigation target, (3) wife Gretchen was Goldman VP 17 years, (4) Clayton advised Goldman and JPM at S+C. Maurene Comey (Epstein/Maxwell prosecutor) was fired from SDNY. Prosecutors reportedly bewildered and on edge about political interference.
intelligence (4)
SYNTHESIS: BEAR STEARNS STRUCTURAL NODE. Clayton at Sullivan+Cromwell advised Bear Stearns on its fire sale to JPMorgan March 2008. Epstein lost 22.6M on 55.7M of Bear Stearns stock in this collapse. JPMorgan (via Jes Staley and General Counsel Stephen Cutler, former SEC Enforcement Director) then negotiated a BSC Stock Drop Action settlement with Epstein. Settlement proceeds (3.7M) went through Indyke trust account. This means Clayton firm was on the opposite side of the table from Epstein in one of the largest financial events of Epstein life. S+C was counsel to the entity that destroyed 22.6M of Epstein wealth. The institutional knowledge S+C gained about Bear Stearns clients and accounts during this engagement would have included awareness of Epstein as a major shareholder. Clayton was on S+C Management Committee. Bear Stearns was also where Epstein worked 1976-1981 under Ace Greenberg -- his entire financial career traces back to this institution.
CORPUS HIT: Richard Kahn forwarded Seeking Alpha article about Jay Clayton's SEC nomination to Jeffrey Epstein on Jan 19, 2017 (inauguration eve). Article by Stephen Alpher notes 'attorney Jay Clayton — who has advised on numerous major P-E deals — to lead the SEC' alongside Wilbur Ross (Commerce) and Steve Schwarzman (Policy Forum chair). Also mentions 'Other players: OAK, APO, FIG, ARES' — APO is Apollo. This confirms Epstein's inner circle was tracking Clayton's appointment and its implications for the PE industry.
SYNTHESIS: REVOLVING DOOR PATTERN. Clayton career maps a textbook regulatory capture arc: (1) S+C partner advising Goldman JPM and major PE firms 1993-2017, (2) SEC Chairman 2017-2020 with no enforcement against Epstein-linked financial institutions, (3) June 2020 Barr tries to install him at SDNY replacing prosecutor overseeing Epstein case -- fails, (4) Feb 2021 joins Apollo board 630K+/yr -- the firm whose founder paid Epstein 158M+, (5) April 2025 Trump finally installs him at SDNY. Bondi directs him to investigate Epstein ties to Democrats specifically. He has conflicts with Reid Hoffman (former client), Goldman (wife worked there 17 yrs), JPM (former client), and Apollo (was board chairman). Maurene Comey (Epstein/Maxwell prosecutor) fired from office. The Epstein investigation is now led by someone with financial ties to multiple investigation targets.
LITTLESIS NETWORK MAP (entity 254763): Positions -- SDNY US Attorney (current), Apollo Lead Independent Director (2021-02-18), SEC Chairman, Sullivan+Cromwell Partner. Business -- counsel to Goldman Sachs, KPMG (re auditor tipped off before regulatory inspection). Social -- golf partner with Donald Trump, friend of Annette Nazareth (former SEC Commissioner). Donations -- Chuck Schumer 2K Dec 2021, Mike Crapo 2K Dec 2021 (Senate Banking ranking), Jim Himes 2K Jan 2022 (House Financial Services), Kevin McCarthy 2K Jan 2022, WinRed 5K, French Hill 2K, John Kennedy 2K, Thomas Kean Jr 1K. Family -- spouse Gretchen Clayton. Education -- UPenn BS Engineering summa cum laude, Cambridge BA/MA Economics Thouron Scholar, UPenn Law JD cum laude.
identity (1)
Jay Clayton career arc: Sullivan+Cromwell partner 1993-2017 Management Committee co-head corporate. SEC Chairman May 2017-Dec 2020. Apollo Lead Independent Director Feb 2021 then Non-Executive Chairman after Black resigned Mar 2021. SDNY US Attorney Apr 2025-present appointed by Trump judges confirmed Aug 2025. At SC advised Goldman on TARP bailout, Bear Stearns on JPM fire sale, Barclays on Lehman, did Alibaba IPO, represented Reid Hoffman. Wife Gretchen Butler Clayton was Goldman VP 17 years resigned on his SEC confirmation.