Emirati billionaire who shared ‘torture video’ e-mail with Jeffrey Epstein went to Buckingham Palace with Prince William
An Emirati billionaire who is alleged to have shared a ‘torture video’ with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was invited to Buckingham Palace with Prince William.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the former chairman of Dubai port giant DP World, the company behind P&O Ferries and the London Gateway freeport in Thurrock, Essex, met with the royal in March 2016.
In 2009, Bin Sulayem, 70, had managed to secure funding for his London project after successfully lobbying Lord Peter Mandelson over a £1.8billion deal.
It is understood Epstein set up this meeting, shortly after he was released from prison in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Seven years later, on March 14, 2016, Bin Sulayem asked if Prince William would like to attend the London Gateway project, alongside the former foreign secretary Lord Hague of Richmond.
And the following day Bin Sulayem, who has an estimated wealth of $7billion, joined the now-Prince of Wales for an event at Buckingham Palace.
Prince William speaks with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem at an event in February 2022
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was named as one of the ‘six wealthy, powerful men’ whose identities were initially redacted in the documents but later unmasked
The gathering was organised by one of the royal’s charities, the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, The Times has reported.
Bin Sulayem was one of 40 ‘global transport leaders’ who signed a declaration to shut down illegal wildlife trafficking routes at the event.
Emails suggest the billionaire went on to boast about his visit to Buckingham Palace to Epstein. The paedophile replied ‘fun’.
Bin Sulayem was yesterday forced to step down from his role at DP World after it emerged he and Epstein had emailed and texted regularly for years.
He was initially one of the ‘six wealthy, powerful men’ whose identities were redacted in the documents released by the US Department of Justice, but he has since been unmasked.
In one message, Epstein asked how he was and then told him: ‘I loved the torture video.’
Other emails show Bin Sulayem and Epstein frequently discussing their sexual experiences and exchanging images of women.
In one email sent in June 2013, the Emirati businessman detailed an individual’s age, weight, height and bra size.
The email reads: ‘Dear Jeffrey This is the one I went with in Paris do you think she is a he??’
Epstein replied: ‘The hands do look like mine’.
In another email from September 2015, Bin Sulayem told Epstein about a ‘girl’ he was seeing and reported it was ‘the best sex I ever had amazing body’.
Emails suggest that the billionaire boasted about the visit to Buckingham Palace to Epstein (file photo)
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the chairman and chief executive of DP World, was seen with Prince William in Dubai in 2022
Bin Sulayem was the chairman and chief executive of DP World for almost 20 years and he and Prince William have been seen in public together on more than one occasion.
The company is listed as a founding partner on the the Earthshot Prize website and is said to have donated at least £1million to the charity.
The Earthshot Prize was set up by Prince William in 2020 to recognise ground-breaking solutions to ‘repair’ and regenerate the planet.
Anti-monarchy pressure group Republic said the emails had raised questions over the relationship between Bin Sulayem and Epstein, as well as the Emirati businessman’s involvement in The Earthshot Prize.
CEO Graham Smith said ‘the seriousness of this matter requires a full and comprehensive investigation’.
He added: ‘It is not credible to believe the Foreign Office, security services or other advisors were not aware of Sulayem’s character and would have been able to advise accordingly.
‘These files have been in the hands of US authorities for years. It’s not believable that such intelligence would not have been shared.’
‘Earthshot has a duty to do due diligence, to ask questions about donors and where money is coming from. In the context of this widening scandal we need answers.’
A Charity Commission spokesman previously said: ‘We are aware of concerns about sources of funding to The Earthshot Prize.
‘We are assessing this information to determine any next steps and if there is a role for the Commission.’
A source close to the Prince of Wales said that he meets hundreds of business leaders and chief executives as part of his role in the royal family.
They added that he has no relationship with Bin Sulayem beyond any ‘brief, formal interactions’ that take place at public events and that he was unaware of the alleged relationship between the billionaire and Epstein.
DP World has repeatedly declined to comment on alleged links between Bin Sulayem and Epstein.
