Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the influential boss of P&O Ferries owner DP World, has resigned from his roles as group chair and chief executive following revelations linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Dubai-based ports and logistics company, ultimately owned by the emirate’s royal family, announced the immediate departure and named Essa Kazim as the new chair and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive, notably without mentioning Sulayem in their statement.

Sulayem, who had transformed DP World into one of the world's largest logistics firms, faced intense scrutiny after the publication of messages and emails exchanged with Epstein. Documents disclosed by the US Department of Justice, and inspected in unredacted form by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, revealed disturbing content. In one email from 2015, Sulayem told Epstein about meeting a girl who went to an American university in Dubai, describing her as “the best sex I ever had amazing body” and stating, “She got engaged but now she back with me.” Another message from Epstein to Sulayem, which Massie appeared to confirm, read: “I loved the torture video.” Other communications included Epstein asking Sulayem, “Where are you? are you ok, I loved the torture video,” in an email from April 2009, sent while Epstein was serving an 18-month sentence for soliciting underage sex but on work release. The pair also frequently discussed sexual experiences, with Sulayem sending links to pornographic and fetish websites and detailing an individual's age, weight, height, and bra size in a June 2013 email. In a particularly lewd note, Sulayem wrote to Epstein: “After several attempts for several months we managed to meet in NY. there is a misunderstanding she she wanted some BUSINESS! while i only wanted some P*SSYNESS!” Sulayem was also named as one of the 'six wealthy, powerful men' whose identities were initially redacted in the documents but later unmasked.

The fallout extended beyond DP World’s internal structure. Two of the company’s largest international partners, Canada’s La Caisse pension fund and British International Investment (BII), initially stated they would halt future deals with the group. However, BII later announced it would resume investment projects, welcoming DP World’s decision and expressing eagerness to continue their partnership in developing African trading ports.

Sulayem's departure also cast a shadow over Prince William's Earthshot Prize charity. Sulayem, through his role at DP World, was a 'Global Alliance Founding Partner' and had donated at least £1 million to the climate charity. The Prince of Wales' Earthshot Prize has been reported to the UK's Charity Commission over these links. Prince William and Sulayem had been seen in public together, including at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Showcase in Dubai in 2022. The anti-monarchy pressure group Republic called for a full investigation, questioning whether the Foreign Office, security services, or advisors were aware of Sulayem's character. A Charity Commission spokesman confirmed they are assessing the information to determine any next steps.

DP World itself has faced past controversies, notably in 2022 when its P&O Ferries business fired 800 staff and replaced them with cheaper agency workers, leading to widespread criticism. In 2024, a diplomatic row erupted over DP World's attendance at a government international investment summit after then-transport secretary Louise Haigh called for a boycott of P&O Ferries. Despite initially holding back a reported £1 billion investment announcement for its London Gateway port, DP World subsequently attended the summit and made the investment. The company had acquired P&O Ferries in 2006 for £3.3 billion, sold it to a separate state-owned entity around the financial crisis, and then bought it back for £322 million in 2019. DP World is also a sponsor of the European golf tour.

The Epstein files also prompted another high-profile resignation this week, with Kathy Ruemmler, top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel, stepping down. Ruemmler, who had referred to Epstein as “Uncle Jeffrey,” had previously tried to distance herself from the released emails and correspondence.