The boss of P&O Ferries owner DP World has resigned after revelations over his ties with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein forced the ports and logistics company to take action. Dubai-based DP World, ultimately owned by the emirate's royal family, announced the immediate resignation of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem as group chair and chief executive on Friday.
Sulayem, the brother of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, came under intense pressure after documents disclosed by the US Department of Justice revealed he emailed Epstein in 2015 that he met a girl "two years ago" who went to an American university in Dubai and was "the best sex I ever had amazing body". Republican congressman Thomas Massie said the justice department also appeared to confirm that Sulayem received an email from Epstein in which he said: "I loved the torture video."
The Dubai government's statement named Essa Kazim as chair and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive. Two of DP World's largest international partners, Canada's La Caisse pension fund and British International Investment (BII), had said they would halt future deals, but BII said it would resume investment after the resignation.
Sulayem had helped transform DP World from operator of Dubai's Jebel Ali port into one of the world's largest logistics companies, owning ports including London Gateway and P&O Ferries, which it acquired for £3.3bn in 2006. The company faced criticism in 2022 when P&O Ferries fired 800 staff and replaced them with cheaper agency workers, and a diplomatic row in 2024 over a boycott by then transport secretary Louise Haigh.
The resignation follows that of Kathy Ruemmler, a former White House counsel and senior lawyer at Goldman Sachs, who stepped down after emails showing a close relationship with Epstein were released.
