Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem Is Very Rich and He's in the Epstein Files — That Checks Out

One of the more shocking revelations to come from the rollout of the so-called Epstein files is how far the convicted sex offender's reach went. Jeffrey Epstein reportedly had some kind of relationship with the likes of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Virgin Group's Richard Branson, high-profile Norwegian diplomats, and, of course, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

According to The New York Times, Epstein made his money via a series of financial scams. He would meet someone of importance, then use them to get to someone who was a level or two higher. Eventually, the grifter and abuser found his way to people like Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman with the kind of net worth Epstein was greatly attracted to. Here's what we know about bin Sulayem's finances and his ties to the late financier.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem has been in his current role with DP World for over 42 years, per Forbes Middle East. The worldwide logistics firm has locations in over 75 countries and, as of 2023, recorded $18.3 billion in revenues. Bin Sulayem has a reported net worth of $7.5 billion.

After graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia with a degree in economics, bin Sulayem returned to Dubai, where he worked as a customs officer at the city's port. Less than a decade later, bin Sulayem was appointed to be chairman of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), a subsidiary of DP World, in 1985. Over the next 35 years, bin Sulayem saw the company grow from hosting 19 companies to approximately 7,500 in 2020.

During that time, bin Sulayem was made DP World chairman in 2007, followed by group chairman and CEO in February 2016. He also developed their subsidiary, Nakheel, until 2010 before becoming a board member in 2020. Bin Sulayem also sits on various other boards, including the Dubai Executive Council and the UAE Federal Tax Authority. He also owns hotels on Nakheel's Palm Islands and invests in other real estate ventures.

On July 22, 2009, Epstein was released from a Florida prison after serving 13 months for solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18, per NPR. Eight days later, bin Sulayem was emailing the convicted sex offender about a £1.8 billion U.K. infrastructure deal. In his words, bin Sulayem wanted to "refresh" Epstein's mind about this project.

According to Newsweek, in April 2009, Epstein sent an email to a redacted email address asking where that person was and if they were OK. "I loved the torture video," wrote Epstein. When Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie posted to X that this name should be made public, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche replied that he knows the sultan's name is unredacted in the file. The duo also emailed each other about sexual escapades, as reported by the Financial Times.