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Background

Jacques Gelè married into the Schnee family and took on their surname. He later took over the Schnee Dust Company after convincing the founder, Nicholas Schnee, that he would be the perfect successor when Nicholas' health began to fail. He fathered two daughters and a son: Winter, Weiss and Whitley Schnee. His first daughter, Winter, studied to become a Huntress at Atlas Academy, and later joined Atlesian Military as a Specialist after graduating. His second daughter, Weiss, left for Beacon Academy to study and become a Huntress as well. Jacques has been stated to have been displeased with both Winter and Weiss' decisions, the former for her career in the military, and the latter for enrolling at Beacon rather than Atlas. At some point he retaliated against Winter by cutting her off from the family fortune.

According to Weiss, under his leadership, the Company began to operate in a "moral gray area", and soon became infamous for "controversial labor forces and questionable business partners". During his time as president, he began abusing his company's Faunus workers by placing them in dangerous working conditions like when one of the company's mines had an accident that resulted in the deaths of many of his Faunus workers. While the accident became a major incident for the company, Jacques cared more about losing the mine and the profit it have him with no care for the Faunus workers that were killed. Another instance of the company's controversial practices would be allowing some of his Faunus workers like Adam Taurus to be branded with the company's logo on their faces.

This exploitation and apathy towards the Faunus made them a target for the Faunus militant group known as the White Fang, which began a campaign of terror against the company, kidnapping and executing board members, interfering with their infrastructure and preying on Schnee family members and friends. This caused Jacques to become foul-tempered, resulting in a rather difficult childhood for Weiss.

As stated by Weiss, Jacques possessed a very tumulus and somewhat deteriorating relationship with his wife Willow Schnee during their children's early childhoods. This began due to Jacques's dislike and active separation from involving himself with caring for the emotional needs of his children, with Willow attempting to convince him to spend more time with them and get into arguments with him over it.

Eventually the complete deterioration of their marriage occurred during Weiss's tenth birthday, where Jacques again choose to not attend the party despite being present in the manor, causing Willow to angrily confront him and tried to make him attend and spend time with their children that then somehow culminated in the two having a full blown fight where Jacques finally admitted to Willow that the sole reason why he married her was for the sake of obtaining the Schnee family name, fortune and company from her father. This eventually pushed Willow off the ledge of her mental health and caused her gradual decline into alcoholism to cope with her loveless marriage to him and her misery with her situation and further worsening their relationship, with Weiss and Whitley having implied that since then, their parents have been known to get into frequent loud fights against each other.

Manga

In Chapter 3 of the manga, it is said that as a child, Weiss' father always placed extremely high expectations upon her, and in spite of her efforts, she was never able to earn his approval. Weiss attempts to move away from her home in Atlas to study at Beacon Academy in Vale. When her father learns of this, he administers a "test" of her worth, forcing her to fight an Arma Gigas in a dangerous battle.

RWBY

In "The Stray", Weiss attributes her difficult childhood to her father's tumultuous emotional state, which was caused by the White Fang's attacks on the Company. She explains to the rest of Team RWBY that this is the reason she despises the White Fang and mistrusts Faunus.

In "Mountain Glenn", Weiss states that her father is the reason the Schnee Dust Company descended into controversial activities and that she refuses to let her father be the end of her family legacy.

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Weiss receives a call from her father

Vytal Festival Tournament

During the Vytal Festival, Weiss' father attempts to call her on her Scroll, but Weiss refuses to answer him. In response, he cancels her credit card, cutting her off from the family fortune.

Later, Weiss' sister Winter visits Vale and deduces what happened between Weiss and their father, since she experienced a similar situation when she joined the Atlas military. The two sisters commiserate on their shared difficult relationship with their father. Winter says that Weiss has a choice, either get back into her father's favor, or forge her own path independent of his control. That night, Weiss again rejects a call from her father, making her choice to live on her own.

Episodes Covering These Events

Battle of Beacon

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Bringing his daughter back to Atlas

In the following mass Grimm invasion of Vale and the destruction of Beacon, Jacques personally comes to Vale to collect her and bring her back home where he believes it is safe. Weiss is seen sitting with him morosely on an aircraft on the way back to Atlas.

Episodes Covering These Events

After the Fall

Following the Fall of Beacon, Jacques is shown arguing with James Ironwood regarding his embargo of exporting Dust. He then tells Weiss that she will be performing vocals at a charity concert for the Schnee Dust Company.

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Jacques, displeased of Weiss' outburst at the charity party

Jacques is present at the charity concert and the after-party where he debates with other party guests about politics, including his company's involvement in economic disparity, employment opportunity and Faunus discrimination. He also tries to restrain Weiss when she loses her temper with the attendees.

Back at the Schnee Manor, he scolds his daughter for her behavior at the party. During their argument he slaps her when she challenges his right to the Schnee name. Jacques grounds Weiss and declares that Whitley will be the heir instead of her.

On the night that James Ironwood informs Jacques that he intends to close the borders of Atlas within a week, the two men get temporarily locked in Jacques' study as Weiss makes her escape.

Episodes Covering These Events

Rigging Mantle Elections

On his next appearance, Jacques is now running for a seat in the Atlesian council, running against Robyn Hill. After Ruby's Group and the Ace Operatives completed their objective in securing the Schnee Dust Company Mine #2, Ironwood arrives with a portion of his military. Soon after, Jacques arrived in the mines, angry with Ironwood for making "unauthorized" access to one of his facilities.

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Jacques confronting the General about compromising his former SDC Mine

Jacques then notices Weiss, demanding to know why she was there, only to find his daughter defiantly standing up to him. Jacques then tries to get to Weiss by informing her of her mother's worsening condition, but Team RWBY stands by her side as Weiss declares to him that they are her family now. Jacques leaves, threatening Ironwood.

Later that night, Jacques is interrupted by Whitley in his study, to Jacques' anger. Whitley explains they have an uninvited guest in the form of Arthur Watts, to his shock. Watts proposes to Jacques a plan where the Schnee could succeed in both aiding his company and obtain the electoral votes needed to be put in the council.

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Jacques was given an unexpected visit from Watts

Following this, Jacques shuts down non-essential SDC operations in Mantle, in order to force citizens to vote for him so that he could reopen them without the "threat" of Ironwood. With the help of Watts, Jacques rigs the elections in his favor, granting Watts access to Atlas' security system, allowing for Arthur and Tyrian Callows to stage an attack in Robyn's election party. After the attack is complete, Jacques' victory over Robyn is announced, where he delivers an acceptance speech to Atlas and Mantle.

Episodes Covering These Events

A Banquet at Schnee Manor

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Jacques during the private dinner with the Council and the General

Now appointed as a councilman, Jacques' first act is to call upon a banquet in order to prosecute and judge whether Ironwood was worthy of his seat in the Atlesian council, calling upon Robyn, Camilla, and Sleet. At the dinner, Jacques demands to know why Ironwood is keeping the Amity Communications Tower project a secret from the rest of the council, in an attempt to discredit James. Jacques manipulates Winter into having an outburst, allowing for the opportunity to further scorn Ironwood.

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Jacques during his arrest for his crimes

As Jacques and the council continue raising issues toward Ironwood, Weiss enters, saying Jacques should be tried instead. She shows footage of his interaction with Watts, and the council turns on him for aiding the man they then believe to be behind much of what Ironwood had been blamed for. Jacques attempts to defend himself from their arguments, but he is left to run, and Weiss stops him, arresting him. Councilman Sleet suggests he is to be tried for treason and as an accessory to murder. Atlesian guards escort him to the back of a police transport.

Episodes Covering These Events

Imprisonment

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Jacques, now imprisoned in Atlas

Now imprisoned in an Atlesian military facility and imprisoned in adjacent cells; Jacques listens to Robyn rant about how his allegiance with Watts allowed Atlas to tear itself apart. He defends his actions, calling himself a victim of manipulation, and turns to accuse Qrow Branwen of being a murderer due to Clover Ebi's death. When Watts quips they are stuck in the situation together, Jacques smugly says Whitely and the SDC will have him out in no time, only to be intimidated by Robyn and the Atlas Soldiers who knock out and take away Watts.

As the Battle of Atlas breaks in full, the group in the prison is interrupted by a loud explosion as Cinder Fall blows through the jail's walls in order to retrieve Watts. The room is covered in rubble and debris, and Jacques is later recaptured by the Atesian soldiers and is transferred to a different location. He later sees his eldest daughter escort the unconscious Ironwood to the cell next to him where he learns from her that Atlas is falling. He asks if she plans on leaving him behind and she answers that they will come for both of them after everyone has been evacuated. He thanks her but she coldly tells him to thank Weiss because it was her idea to have him saved.

Episodes Covering These Events

Death

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Ironwood kills Jacques

After Ironwood regains consciousness, Jacques proceeded to mock him, telling him that Atlas was falling on his watch and that he lost, before solemnly saying that the both of them have lost. However, he is surprised when Ironwood's cell wall goes down and he walks free, and is quick to ask Ironwood if he intends to open his cell too. Ironwood initially says nothing, reassembling his weapons into their handheld cannon form and then pointing it at Jacques, sarcastically replying "sure thing" before shooting him through the cell walls, vaporizing him.

Episodes Covering These Events
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