CEO of DP World Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem speaks onstage during 2024 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square
02/12/2026
Major British and Canadian financial institutions have suspended future investments with Dubai-based logistics giant DP World following revelations that its chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, maintained extensive ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for more than a decade after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
The decisions mark the first significant business fallout from the newly unredacted Epstein files, which have intensified scrutiny of powerful figures who remained in contact with the disgraced financier. Quebec’s La Caisse pension fund—Canada’s second-largest pension manager and one of DP World’s largest financial partners—announced it is “pausing additional capital deployment alongside the company” until it receives clarification and corrective action.
“We have made it clear to the company that we expect it to shed light on the situation and take the necessary actions,” a La Caisse spokesperson told Bloomberg. The fund holds a 45 percent stake in DP World Canada and has committed billions to joint infrastructure projects since launching its partnership in 2016, including a $2.5bn investment in DP World’s Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone in 2022.
Within 24 hours, British International Investment (BII), the UK government-owned development finance agency, followed suit. “We are shocked by the allegations emerging in the Epstein files regarding Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem,” a BII spokesperson told Reuters. “In light of the allegations, we will not be making any new investments with DP World until the required actions have been taken by the company.”
BII is a partner of DP World at four African ports, including the strategic Berbera Port in Somaliland’s breakaway region.
What the Allegations Reveal
Sulayem’s entanglement with Epstein was exposed through correspondence showing the DP World chief bragging about sexual encounters and attempting to entice a businesswoman. In a November 2007 email first reported by Dropsite news, Sulayem told Epstein: “After several attemps (sic) for several months we managed to meet in NY. There is a missunderstanding (sic) she she wanted some BUSINESS! while i only wanted some PUSSYNESS!”
The UAE business titan was also photographed with Epstein inspecting fabric resembling the Kiswa—the sacred black-and-gold silk cloth covering the Kaaba in Mecca.
More disturbing allegations emerged when US lawmakers revealed Sulayem was among six men whose names were redacted from Epstein files by the Trump administration. His name was released this week following pressure from Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna.
Massie posted on X that Sulayem was the sender of a “torture video” to Epstein, sharing an email exchange where Epstein wrote on April 24, 2009: “Where are you? Are you ok, I loved the torture video.” Massie stated the Department of Justice “tacitly admitted that Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem was the sender of the torture video.”
The communications reportedly included business discussions, explicit sexual content, and references to visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island. Sulayem communicated with Epstein for years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes involving minors—a conviction that involved child sex trafficking, though the court used terminology the US State Department now considers inappropriate.
Corporate Response and Geopolitical Context
DP World, owned by the government of Dubai, has largely declined detailed public comment on the specific allegations. MEE reached out to DP World but did not receive a reply by publication time. As a monarchy where Abu Dhabi brokers no dissent, it remains unclear whether Sulayem—a high-flyer at Western summits including Davos—will face any public pressure within the UAE.
Systemic Implications
Ports represent long-term, steady-cash-flow investments prized by pension funds for their inflation-resistant physical assets. The rapid response from institutional investors illustrates growing “reputational contagion risk” and heightened ESG governance pressure facing state funds and pension managers.
Critically, reporting consistently notes that appearing in Epstein’s files is not proof of criminal wrongdoing. No criminal charges tied to these communications have been announced. However, with DP World deeply embedded in global trade infrastructure—operating dozens of ports and logistics terminals worldwide—sustained partner withdrawal could generate significant trade ripple effects.
As of February 2026, multiple Western financial partners have paused new deals, investigative document releases continue, and the situation remains fluid with potential for additional corporate or regulatory consequences.
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