Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
Former Chairman and CEO of DP World
Dubai-based executive forced out as head of DP World — the global port operator controlling over 80 marine terminals across six continents — after his name appeared more than 4,700 times in the Epstein files. DP World described his departure as a 'strategic realignment.'
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem in the Epstein Files — By the Numbers
Topics Covered
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem served as Chairman and CEO of DP World, the Dubai-based global port operator that owns P&O Ferries and manages over 80 marine terminals across six continents. He was forced out of his position in February 2026 after documents released under the Epstein Transparency Act revealed extensive communications between him and Jeffrey Epstein.
DP World
DP World is one of the largest port operators in the world, handling approximately 10 percent of global container traffic. The company operates terminals in the UAE, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Its subsidiary P&O Ferries operates major shipping routes in the English Channel and the Irish and North Seas. DP World is majority-owned by Dubai World, an investment arm of the Dubai government.
Bin Sulayem had led the company for years and was one of the most prominent business executives in the Gulf states.
Appearance in the Epstein Files
Documents released under the Epstein Transparency Act revealed that Bin Sulayem’s name appeared more than 4,700 times across the files — one of the highest mention counts for any individual in the released records. The documents included emails, scheduling records, and other communications between Bin Sulayem and Epstein.
The volume of mentions indicated a relationship that extended well beyond casual or incidental contact. The specific nature of the communications — what was discussed, whether financial arrangements were involved, and whether any of the contacts related to Epstein’s criminal conduct — has been the subject of ongoing review by journalists and congressional investigators.
Forced Departure
On February 13, 2026, DP World announced Bin Sulayem’s departure. The company’s statement described the change as part of a “strategic realignment” of leadership. The statement did not reference the Epstein files directly.
The timing, however, was unambiguous. The announcement came within days of the document releases that revealed the extent of Bin Sulayem’s communications with Epstein. News outlets reported that the Dubai government and DP World’s board moved quickly to distance the company from the fallout.
Congressional Response
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), co-author of the Epstein Transparency Act, cited Bin Sulayem’s departure as evidence that the files contained information of genuine consequence about living individuals. Khanna demanded further name disclosures, arguing that if the documents were significant enough to force the resignation of a major global CEO, the public had a right to know who else was named.
Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) pointed to the DP World case as proof that the DOJ’s redactions were protecting powerful figures, not victims.
Significance
Bin Sulayem’s departure was one of the most consequential corporate exits triggered by the Epstein file releases, alongside Kathryn Ruemmler’s resignation from Goldman Sachs. The DP World case demonstrated the global reach of the Epstein revelations — extending from American politics and finance into the governance structures of sovereign wealth-backed enterprises in the Gulf.
The scale of his mentions in the files — more than 4,700 — raised questions about the depth and duration of Epstein’s connections to powerful figures in the Middle East, and about what role those connections played in Epstein’s financial and social network.
Documents
Primary-source records that reference Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem. Inclusion in these documents is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing; the specific nature of the communications remains the subject of ongoing review, and Bin Sulayem has not been charged with any crime.
- House Oversight Committee — Epstein email correspondence release (Nov. 2025) — Bin Sulayem appears in Epstein’s email correspondence among the records made public in the 2025–2026 disclosures. As reported by The Guardian, Reuters, and the Financial Times, his name appeared more than 4,700 times across the released files — among the highest mention counts for any individual — in emails, scheduling records, and other communications with Epstein.
- DOJ Epstein Files (full EFTA release portal) — The Bin Sulayem correspondence forms part of the broader body of Epstein records released by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Connections
View in network →People most often named alongside Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem in coverage, plus documented connections. Counts reflect shared articles, not verified relationships.