Get to Know the Banker Behind JPMorgan “Intercourse Slave” Claims

Former JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana.
Photograph-Illustration: Intelligencer; Pictures: Getty Photos, Bregal Sagemount

Banking large JPMorgan has been house to lots of Wall Road’s greatest scandals over the previous 20 years, which embrace however are completely not restricted to: its resolution to hold 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 (whats up, $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 identify.”

Once more, this record is just not complete and doesn’t even embrace 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 conversant in controversy and unflattering press. But JPMorgan has by no means grappled with a former worker accusing a high-ranking feminine govt of constructing him her “intercourse slave,” a scandal that has offered fodder for viral memes and AI fakes whereas driving New York Publish headlines and the rumor mill at 270 Park Avenue. In response to 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 govt director on his workforce, had been the one accused of sexual assault. AI-generated photos 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 conversant in the matter have recognized the plaintiff as Rana.) In response to the go well with, Hajdini instructed Rana, “If you happen to don’t fuck me quickly, I’m going to wreck you … Always remember, I fucking personal you. If you happen to 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 sort and by no means gave him any medication. She maintains that his false claims are completely fabricated and tarnishing her status.” 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 price inside the JPMorgan scandal universe is unclear and possibly depends upon who’s discovered to be telling the reality. A preliminary listening to is scheduled for Might 26, however within the meantime, extra information 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 middle of it.

Former soccer teammates of Rana, who performed for Rutgers College–Newark, bear in mind him “as , dependable participant, however stated he might typically be aggressive throughout follow, moving into disagreements with different seniors on the workforce for extreme tackling or jostling with teammates for management of the ball,” in keeping with the Journal. Others recalled him as “pushed and impressive” with an “intense work ethic.”

After school, Rana labored for a lot of 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,” in keeping with folks conversant in 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 instructed the Journal, “We categorically reject these claims as false and one other try to smear my consumer within the press.”) He landed at JPMorgan in March 2024 the place, in keeping with folks conversant in 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 based mostly on race (Rana is the son of Nepalese immigrants), asking JPMorgan to accept some $22 million. He was positioned on non permanent paid go away and later provided $1 million. In a press release, 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 info raised because 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 response to 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 workforce reportedly despatched flowers. (Rana’s lawyer instructed the outlet his consumer had been referring to a “dadlike determine” who had helped elevate 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 p.c with $161,797 in buying and selling quantity. A guess of Rana issuing a public apology stood at simply 5 p.c.