Former JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana.
Picture-Illustration: Intelligencer; Pictures: Getty Photographs, Bregal Sagemount
Banking large JPMorgan has been dwelling to a lot of Wall Road’s greatest scandals over the previous 20 years, which embody however are completely not restricted to: its determination to maintain to itself its suspicions about what Bernie Madoff was doing; its “whale”-size $6 billion buying and selling loss; its longtime monetary enabling of Jeffrey Epstein; these poisonous mortgage-backed securities it offered to buyers (hey, $13 billion settlement); its “robo-signing” of foreclosures notices; its precious-metals spoofing rip-off; and the “Sons and Daughters” hiring program that prosecutors deemed “nothing greater than bribery by one other title.”
Once more, this listing just isn’t complete and doesn’t even embody the time CEO Jamie Dimon declared throughout a city corridor, “I don’t care how many individuals signal that fucking petition” for a hybrid working mannequin, later including, “And don’t give me this shit that work-from-home Friday works. I name lots of people on Fridays, and there’s not a goddamn particular person you’ll be able to come up with.”
Which is all to say the financial institution is aware of controversy and unflattering press. But JPMorgan has by no means grappled with a former worker accusing a high-ranking feminine government of creating him her “intercourse slave,” a scandal that has supplied fodder for viral memes and AI fakes whereas driving New York Submit headlines and the rumor mill at 270 Park Avenue. In accordance with The Wall Road Journal, from the second the allegations went public, it “appeared like everybody” was speaking about 35-year-old banker Chirayu Rana. On the financial institution’s headquarters, groups “swapped memes and traded tales of working with him,” whereas colleagues have been “shocked to listen to” Lorna Hajdini, an government director on his crew, had been the one accused of sexual assault. AI-generated pictures of Rana and Hajdini on dates and on the workplace have circulated on social media and presumably been shared in group chats.
Rana claimed in a lawsuit initially filed on April 27 that Hajdini started making advances towards him about two months after he joined the agency and subsequently demanded intercourse from him, threatened his job, taunted him with sexually express and racist feedback, and drugged him. (The lawsuit was filed below the pseudonym John Doe; folks aware of the matter have recognized the plaintiff as Rana.) In accordance with the go well with, Hajdini advised Rana, “In case you don’t fuck me quickly, I’m going to wreck you … Always remember, I fucking personal you. In case you don’t fuck my brains out tonight, I’m going to sabotage your promotion.” (Rana refiled an amended lawsuit final week.)
Hajdini’s attorneys have stated through a JPMorgan spokesman that she “continues to categorically deny the allegations,” including, “She by no means dated this particular person, by no means had a sexual or romantic encounter with him of any form and by no means gave him any medicine. She maintains that his false claims are completely fabricated and tarnishing her fame.” JPMorgan, which can also be named within the lawsuit, has stated the financial institution investigated the allegations and believes they “don’t have any advantage.”
How this made-for-tabloid saga will finally fee throughout the JPMorgan scandal universe is unclear and possibly is dependent upon who’s discovered to be telling the reality. A preliminary listening to is scheduled for Might 26, however within the meantime, extra details within the ordeal are coming to gentle. The Journal has produced one of many first deep dives on the accuser, offering recent particulars on the unfolding scandal and the person on the heart of it.
Former soccer teammates of Rana, who performed for Rutgers College–Newark, keep in mind him “as , dependable participant, however stated he might typically be aggressive throughout apply, moving into disagreements with different seniors on the crew for extreme tackling or jostling with teammates for management of the ball,” based on the Journal. Others recalled him as “pushed and impressive” with an “intense work ethic.”
After school, Rana labored for various monetary companies, together with Credit score Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Carlyle Group, and an affiliate of Apollo International Administration. Later, at a consultancy referred to as CrossBoundary, he reportedly “yelled at co-workers after they tried to supply constructive criticism about his efficiency,” based on folks aware of the matter, after which, per the Journal, he “transitioned out of the corporate … partly due to his demeanor within the office.” (Rana’s legal professional advised the Journal, “We categorically reject these claims as false and one other try and smear my consumer within the press.”) He landed at JPMorgan in March 2024 the place, based on folks aware of the scenario, Rana “confirmed a willingness to inform colleagues that they have been making errors and their work wasn’t as much as commonplace.”
In Might 2025, Rana filed an inside criticism alleging sexual assault and harassment primarily based on race (Rana is the son of Nepalese immigrants), asking JPMorgan to accept some $22 million. He was positioned on short-term paid depart and later provided $1 million. In an announcement, a spokesman for JPMorgan stated of the provide, “We did attempt to attain an settlement to keep away from the time and expense of litigation and to help an worker who was being threatened with the very reputational hurt now unfolding. We proceed to imagine these allegations don’t have any advantage, and new data raised on account of the general public submitting solely reinforces that conclusion.” Rana’s legal professional countered, “In my 30-plus-year profession as an employment litigator I’ve by no means had an employer defendant make such a considerable provide if they honestly believed the allegations to ‘don’t have any advantage.’”
In accordance with the Journal, Rana stopped coming into the workplace towards the top of 2024, telling the corporate his father had died, regardless of his organic father being alive; Hajdini and the remainder of the crew reportedly despatched flowers. (Rana’s lawyer advised the outlet his consumer had been referring to a “dadlike determine” who had helped increase him, not his precise father.)
It’s 2026, so clearly persons are making bets about all this. As of Monday, the probability of Rana himself being sued stood at 70 % with $161,797 in buying and selling quantity. A guess of Rana issuing a public apology stood at simply 5 %.
