BBC News February 13, 2026

Dubai Ports Chief Resigns After Hundreds of Secret Epstein Emails Exposed

Documents released in the Epstein files investigation.

Key Takeaways

▶ Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO and chairman of DP World, resigned after his name appeared 4,700+ times in the Epstein files, according to CBS News.
▶ DP World operates ports across six continents and employs approximately 103,000 people; the company cited only 'strategic realignment' for bin Sulayem's departure.
▶ Rep. Ro Khanna publicly praised the resignation and demanded full disclosure of all names in the Epstein files.
▶ The resignation follows Goldman Sachs top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler's departure, marking the second major corporate exit in one week from the Epstein document releases.
▶ Attorney General Pam Bondi has refused demands for full document release despite mounting congressional pressure.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the longtime chairman and CEO of Dubai-based logistics giant DP World, resigned on Friday after newly released documents from the Department of Justice showed his name appeared more than 4,700 times in the Epstein files, according to CBS News.²

DP World, which operates ports across six continents and employs approximately 103,000 people, announced Essa Kazim as the new chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as the new group chief executive officer.¹ The company issued a statement citing “strategic realignment” but did not address the Epstein connection directly.¹

Nature of the Correspondence

The documents released under the Epstein Transparency Act revealed that the correspondence between bin Sulayem and Jeffrey Epstein spanned years, beginning as early as 2007 and continuing after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, according to CNN.⁵ Epstein described bin Sulayem in the emails as a “best and trusted friend,” CNN reported.⁵

The exchanges included business discussions, with bin Sulayem seeking Epstein’s advice on meetings, connections and investments, according to CNN.⁵ One email from April 24, 2009, sent by Epstein to bin Sulayem, referenced a “torture video,” according to The Gateway Pundit.⁶ Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) confirmed on Feb. 9 that bin Sulayem was the recipient of that email.⁶

Documents also showed that Epstein acted as an intermediary to help bin Sulayem lobby the UK government in 2009 for support on the 1.8 billion pound London Gateway port project, sharing the personal email address of Peter Mandelson, then the UK Business Secretary, according to the Irish Times.⁷

How the Name Surfaced

After Congress gained access to unredacted files, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Massie discovered what they said were improperly redacted names. Massie credited their efforts after the resignation, writing on X that the DOJ had redacted information necessary to identify the recipient of the “torture video email.”⁶

Khanna, after another figure named in the Epstein files stepped down, called for full disclosure of all names in the files.⁴

Investor Pressure

The resignation came after international partners paused new deals with DP World. La Caisse, Canada’s second-largest pension fund, which had invested more than $5 billion alongside the company over the past decade, said it would pause additional capital deployment, according to Al Jazeera.⁸ British International Investment, which invests with DP World in four African ports, also paused new investments.⁸

Other Executive Departures

Bin Sulayem joins a growing list of figures who have departed their positions after being named in the Epstein files. Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler resigned after emails surfaced in the files.³ Olympic organizing committee chief Casey Wasserman also stepped aside following revelations in the documents.

Continued Redactions

Attorney General Pam Bondi has not agreed to demands for full document release. A lawmaker named six individuals from the House floor whose names remain redacted in the official releases.⁴

Bin Sulayem has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein. Congress has moved to depose Leslie Wexner, described in the files as Epstein’s closest known financial associate. Whether lawmakers will seek testimony from international figures like bin Sulayem has not been announced.¹