Emirati Billionaire with Epstein Ties Attended Buckingham Palace Event with Prince William
An Emirati billionaire, who allegedly shared a 'torture video' with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was invited to Buckingham Palace for an event alongside Prince William. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the former chairman of Dubai port giant DP World, met with the royal in March 2016, according to reports.
Business Dealings and Royal Connections
Bin Sulayem, 70, secured funding for his London Gateway freeport project in Thurrock, Essex, after lobbying Lord Peter Mandelson over a £1.8 billion deal in 2009. It is understood that Epstein facilitated this meeting shortly after his release from prison in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Seven years later, on March 14, 2016, Bin Sulayem extended an invitation to Prince William to visit the London Gateway project, alongside former foreign secretary Lord Hague of Richmond. The following day, the billionaire, with an estimated wealth of $7 billion, joined the now-Prince of Wales at a Buckingham Palace gathering.
Event Details and Aftermath
The event was organised by the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, one of Prince William's charities. Bin Sulayem was among 40 'global transport leaders' who signed a declaration to combat illegal wildlife trafficking routes. Emails later revealed that the billionaire boasted about his palace visit to Epstein, who replied with the word 'fun'.
Bin Sulayem was recently forced to step down from his role at DP World after it emerged he had regularly emailed and texted Epstein for years. Initially, his identity was redacted in documents released by the US Department of Justice, but he has since been unmasked as one of six 'wealthy, powerful men' linked to the case.
Explicit Email Exchanges
In one message, Epstein asked how Bin Sulayem was and then stated, 'I loved the torture video.' Other emails show the pair frequently discussed their sexual experiences and exchanged images of women. In a June 2013 email, the Emirati businessman detailed an individual's age, weight, height, and bra size, questioning, 'Dear Jeffrey This is the one I went with in Paris do you think she is a he??' Epstein responded, 'The hands do look like mine.'
Another email from September 2015 saw Bin Sulayem tell Epstein about a 'girl' he was seeing, describing it as 'the best sex I ever had amazing body.'
Ongoing Royal and Charitable Links
Bin Sulayem served as chairman and chief executive of DP World for nearly two decades and has been seen publicly with Prince William on multiple occasions. DP World is listed as a founding partner on the Earthshot Prize website, having donated at least £1 million to the charity. The Earthshot Prize was established by Prince William in 2020 to award innovative solutions for environmental repair.
Calls for Investigation
Anti-monarchy pressure group Republic has raised concerns about the relationship between Bin Sulayem and Epstein, as well as the billionaire's involvement with The Earthshot Prize. CEO Graham Smith emphasised that 'the seriousness of this matter requires a full and comprehensive investigation.' He questioned whether due diligence was performed on donors and highlighted potential intelligence failures by authorities.
A Charity Commission spokesman stated they are 'assessing this information to determine any next steps' regarding funding concerns for The Earthshot Prize. A source close to the Prince of Wales noted that he meets hundreds of business leaders in his royal capacity and has no relationship with Bin Sulayem beyond 'brief, formal interactions' at public events, adding that he was unaware of the alleged ties to Epstein.
DP World has repeatedly declined to comment on the alleged links between Bin Sulayem and Epstein.
