▁be ▁over st ated ▁and ▁his ▁management ▁and ▁in cent ive ▁fe es ▁to ▁be ▁increased . ▁J ark es y , ▁a ▁frequent ▁media ▁comment ator ▁and ▁radio ▁talk ▁show ▁host , ▁also ▁li ed ▁to ▁invest ors ▁about ▁the ▁identity ▁of ▁the ▁funds ’ ▁aud itor ▁and ▁prime ▁bro ker . ▁Meanwhile , ▁although ▁they ▁shared ▁the ▁same ▁" John ▁Thomas " ▁brand ▁name , ▁J ark es y ’ s ▁firm ▁and ▁Bel esis ' ▁firm ▁John ▁Thomas ▁Fin an cial ▁were ▁port rayed ▁as ▁wh olly ▁independent . ▁J ark es y ▁led ▁invest ors ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁as ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁funds , ▁he ▁was ▁sole ly ▁responsible ▁for ▁all ▁invest ment ▁dec isions . ▁However , ▁Bel esis ▁sometimes ▁supp l anted ▁J ark es y ▁as ▁the ▁decision ▁mak er ▁and ▁directed ▁some ▁invest ments ▁from ▁the ▁h edge ▁funds ▁into ▁a ▁company ▁in ▁which ▁his ▁firm ▁was ▁heavily ▁inv ested . ▁Bel esis ▁also ▁bul lied ▁J ark es y ▁into ▁show ering ▁excess ive ▁fe es ▁on ▁John ▁Thomas ▁Fin an cial ▁even ▁in ▁instances ▁where ▁the ▁firm ▁had ▁done ▁virt ually ▁nothing ▁to ▁ear n ▁them . ▁ ▁On ▁one ▁occasion ▁c ited ▁by ▁the ▁SE C , ▁after ▁Bel esis ▁y elled ▁at ▁the ▁fund ▁manager , ▁J ark es y ▁tried ▁to ▁re ass ure ▁him ▁by ▁saying ▁in ▁an ▁e - mail : ▁“ We ▁will ▁always ▁try ▁to ▁get ▁you ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁possible , ▁every ▁time ▁without ▁exception