Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been subpoenaed to submit documents for a civil lawsuit filed by the U.S. Virgin Islands against JPMorgan Chase, according to several reports from U.S. news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit centers on the bank's former relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The U.S. Virgin Islands believes that Epstein may have attempted to refer Musk, renowned as a high-net-worth individual, to JPMorgan, as cited in the court filing.
Unable to serve him physically with the court papers, the lawyers have sought a judge's approval to issue the subpoena to Musk via email. Responding to the situation, Musk dismissed the subpoena as "idiotic" in a tweet, emphasizing that he never sought financial advice from Epstein. He described the idea of him needing counsel from Epstein as "absurd."
Musk also disclosed a past dispute between Tesla and JPMorgan. A decade ago, Tesla withdrew its business from the bank following a disagreement, a decision Musk claims he has never regretted. He did not disclose further details about the extent of his business transactions with JPMorgan, although his current relationship with the bank is understood to be contentious.
Epstein, who once resided in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was a JPMorgan client until his accounts were closed by the bank in 2013. However, meetings between Epstein and bankers continued, according to reports. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Late last year, the U.S. Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan in a Manhattan federal court, accusing the bank of enabling Epstein's alleged sex trafficking and abuse by continuing to serve him as a client. The lawsuit alleges that JPMorgan overlooked Epstein's activities in exchange for high-value business referrals. JPMorgan has denied any knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes and stated that it cannot be held liable.
In March, the USVI issued subpoenas to several billionaires, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, to collect information for its lawsuit. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled for deposition as part of the case. The lawsuit against JPMorgan and another filed by an unnamed woman alleging sexual abuse by Epstein are concurrently underway in Manhattan federal court.
