EDITOR’S NOTE: This story incorporates descriptions of abuse and references to sexually explicit materials.
A tycoon from the United Arab Emirates whose intimate friendship with the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein was revealed within the newest release of files by the US Justice Department has been replaced in his publish as head of one of many world’s largest port operators.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem emerged as a strong power in world commerce as the previous chairman and CEO of Dubai’s DP World, which has a footprint in additional than 80 international locations, over the previous three a long time.
Without naming bin Sulayem, Dubai’s Government Media Office introduced Friday that DP World had appointed a brand new chairman and group CEO, positions beforehand held by bin Sulayem. DP World confirmed the brand new appointments to NCS.
Epstein affectionately described bin Sulayem, whose title seems 1000’s of instances within the newest batch, as “funny,” “educated,” “a master” and a “best and trusted friend.”
The messages between Epstein and bin Sulayem reveal an intimate, yearslong friendship replete with misogynistic descriptions of ladies and ladies, sexually explicit materials, enterprise proposals and a reference to an alleged torture video that has drawn scrutiny within the US Congress.
On Tuesday the DOJ un-redacted more names within the paperwork, highlighting six males, together with bin Sulayem. A reputation showing within the information is just not by itself proof of wrongdoing, and bin Sulayem has not been accused by authorities of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes in connection with the late Epstein.
Their communication spanned at the very least a decade, together with after September 2009, when Epstein was launched from prison having pled responsible to youngster prostitution costs. Epstein died in 2019, awaiting trial on extra costs of sexual abuse of underage ladies and working a intercourse trafficking ring. He pled not guilty.
A outstanding Emirati enterprise determine, bin Sulayem usually makes appearances with Dubai’s ruler, and has been pictured with US President Donald Trump.
He attended the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, appeared at NCS International’s Global Perspectives dwell occasion last November and has featured in trophy displays for the distinguished DP World Tour Championship golf event in Dubai.
At least two corporations — a British funding platform and Canada’s second largest pension fund — reportedly halted future offers with DP World within the wake of the most recent launch of information. The Quebec-based hub La Caisse informed NCS that it expects DP World to “shed light on the situation and take the necessary actions.”
Bin Sulayem’s shiny profile matches these of quite a few different influential males whose appearances within the Epstein information reveal how the financier offered himself as a stealthy networker – leveraging his ties with rich businessmen, tech entrepreneurs, politicians and lecturers to attach the worldwide elite.
Bin Sulayem is just not a family title within the United States. But a newly revealed memo has propelled him into the highlight in Washington.
In 2009, Epstein wrote a brief electronic mail to a recipient that the DOJ had initially redacted. “Where are you? are you ok I loved the torture video,” he mentioned on the time.
US Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who was given entry by the DOJ to the unredacted model, mentioned this week on social media that the recipient was “a Sultan.” Later, US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche mentioned the recipient’s title appeared in a separate unredacted file and linked to an electronic mail from bin Sulayem.
It is unclear what “torture video” Epstein is referring to within the electronic mail Blanche linked to. DP world declined to touch upon the matter when reached by NCS earlier than he was replaced in his place. NCS tried to name a quantity for bin Sulayem a number of instances this week.
A enterprise and diplomatic bridge
According to the newly launched tranche of paperwork, Epstein and bin Sulayem traded regional contacts and discussed visits to Epstein’s Caribbean island – the place survivors repeatedly testified that Epstein sexually abused them.
Bin Sulayem informed Epstein about conferences with world leaders, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin and former British Prime Minister David Cameron, in early September 2015, based on the information.
Epstein additionally supplied bin Sulayem recommendation on how you can method the United Kingdom authorities to safe financing for an enormous DP World challenge in London. In September, 2009, bin Sulayem forwarded Epstein a letter addressed to Peter Mandelson, then-British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, requesting mortgage ensures.
Epstein responded to bin Sulayem’s draft proposal with recommended edits. Two years later, when bin Sulayem despatched him a press launch asserting the challenge’s building, Epstein wrote, “Im (sic) proud of you.”
Mandelson, who later grew to become the UK ambassador to the US, is now the topic of a British police investigation over his ties to Epstein. He beforehand mentioned he was “wrong to believe (Epstein) following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards.”
NCS has tried to contact Mandelson this week for remark.
The emails between bin Sulayem and Epstein additionally present makes an attempt at brokering relations between UAE and Israeli officers started a number of years earlier than Abu Dhabi normalized ties with Israel beneath the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. Epstein appeared to provoke contact between bin Sulayem after which Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak as early as 2012.
Barak beforehand acknowledged his private relationship with Epstein, however has mentioned he by no means witnessed or participated in any improper conduct.
On March 22, 2012, Epstein informed bin Sulayem he was in Berlin “with the Israeli defense minister” including, “I have told him about you and sheik (sic) Mohamed. He would like to meet you both.”
In June, 2013, Epstein informed Barak, who was now not serving in authorities, “My friend sultan bin sulaiman (sic) is in st pete, I tnk (sic) you should meet, he is the right hand of maktoum,” apparently referring to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai. At the time, world leaders had been gathering at a Russian financial discussion board in St Petersburg.
A month later, Epstein appeared to pitch bin Sulayem’s DP World as a possible candidate to purchase Israeli ports amid a privatization marketing campaign. He despatched Barak a Fox News story about Israel inviting worldwide bids, asking, “is this something for sultan?” Barak replied, “Probably once (and IF) we’ll start getting deeper into a sincere peace process,” on the July 4, 2013 email chain, including “we have to think harder on how to leverage this acquaintance.”
Two summers later, bin Sulayem asked Epstein, “Can you please arrange for me to meet Ehud.” Epstein forwarded the request to Barak, who replied, “Yes, of course” and requested him to share his telephone quantity and get in touch with info.
That diplomatic bridge prolonged so far as the White House.
On January 6, 2017, bin Sulayem asked Epstein whether or not he ought to “accept” an invite to US President Donald Trump’s first inauguration. “Do you think it will be possible to shake hand (sic) with Trump?” Epstein, who didn’t attend the inauguration, mentioned “unlikely.”
A 12 months later, bin Sulayem requested to fulfill former Trump strategist Steve Bannon throughout a possible May 2018 journey to the UAE. “I will arrange picking you up,” the Emirati businessman mentioned to Bannon, laying out particulars of a sky tour of Dubai and mentioned future “meetings in Washington.” Epstein, who’s cc’d in these emails, tells Bannon he “will have fun” with Sulayem.
Epstein shared ideas with bin Sulayem about how he ought to arrange Bannon’s tour of the area. “Show him the scale of what you have done,” he mentioned.
The information additionally seem to point out how bin Sulayem shared detailed sexual accounts and graphic photographs with Epstein – together with in mid-August, 2015, when he apparently despatched hyperlinks to porn websites throughout a visit to Santa Fe with his “wife, three kids and a nanny,” based on the correspondence.
On June 13, 2013, bin Sulayem informed Epstein, “I am off to sample a fresh 100% female Russian at my yacht.” Two years later, he informed Epstein a few “girl” he is aware of from an American college in Dubai. “The best sex I ever had amazing body,” bin Sulayem mentioned.
Further correspondence exhibits bin Sulayem and Epstein objectifying girls and criticizing their bodily appearances.
Bin Sulayem additionally appeared to facilitate coaching for Epstein’s “personal masseuse,” recognized as a Russian nationwide, to work at a resort resort in Antalya, Turkey, “so she gains better experiences,” in June, 2017.
It is unclear if the people had been despatched to Antalya.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse have repeatedly relayed testimony of being compelled to perform massages and intercourse acts on him.
More emails point out that Epstein positioned himself as an info monger – parlaying intimate particulars about his contacts’ non-public lives to strengthen their relationships.
In correspondence from August 2013, Epstein informed the Japanese entrepreneur Joichi Ito that bin Sulayem “speaks perfect English,” consumes “no alcohol in public” and “prays five times a day.” In the same thread, Epstein mentioned the Dubai tycoon “has many viagra type connoctions (sic).”
While discussing a possible assembly with bin Sulayem, Ito mentioned, “Assume I should meet him alone and not with my little punk girl sidekick right?”
Ito, who resigned as the pinnacle of the MIT Media Lab in 2019 after his monetary ties to Epstein had been made public, previously said he was “never involved in, never heard (Epstein) talk about, and never saw any evidence of the horrific acts that he was accused of.” He added that he was “deeply sorry to the survivors” for “bringing such a person into our network.”
NCS has reached out to the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan, the place Ito is president, for remark.
Barely a month later, Epstein informed bin Sulayem in a separate memo, “Joi, is the most connected to the tech world person in the states. He runs the MIT media lab, he is one of us.”
Bin Sulayem replied, “I look forward to meet (sic) him I will take good care of him.”