Emails reveal UAE business leader's long-running ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, a top Emirati businessman and chairman of Dubai-based global logistics giant DP World, maintained a years-long correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a media report. Emails reviewed by Bloomberg News reveal the contact continued for over a decade after Epstein's 2008 conviction on charges including procuring a minor for prostitution.

Nature of the personal and business correspondence

The email exchanges, described as unusually personal, show bin Sulayem discussing intimate details of his life with Epstein, including a renewed relationship with a foreign exchange student in Dubai in 2015. The two also shared business and political contacts, with Epstein attempting to act as an intermediary to facilitate deals. Bin Sulayem frequently wrote about visiting Epstein's private Caribbean island and offered assistance for Epstein's resort plans. Neither bin Sulayem nor DP World responded to requests for comment on the report.

Epstein's role as a connector for the elite

The correspondence underscores Epstein's role as a networker among global elites. Emails indicate he tried to connect bin Sulayem with high-profile figures including Hyatt Hotels Chairman Tom Pritzker, retail billionaire Les Wexner, and former JPMorgan executive Jes Staley. The emails also reveal discussions in 2018 about a potential meeting in the UAE between bin Sulayem and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon. Epstein's contact list, circulated just before his 2019 arrest, included an entry for "sultan," presumed to be bin Sulayem.

Broader implications and unanswered questions

The revelations add a major Middle Eastern business leader to the long list of prominent individuals linked to Epstein after his conviction. They raise questions about the extent and nature of elite social and business networks that remained accessible to the financier despite his criminal status. The emails do not clarify whether the discussed business referrals resulted in concrete deals, but they paint a picture of sustained mutual facilitation between Epstein and a key figure in the UAE's corporate landscape.