Fallout from Epstein files reaches Wall Street, Dubai

• DP World CEO Bin Sulayem ousted as investors stop funding over ties to disgraced financier
• Goldman Sachs lawyer Ruemmler resigns due to her extensive ties to Epstein in documents
• PM urges probe into top Norwegians’ links to dead felon

DUBAI: The chairman and chief executive of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem’s resigned on Friday following pressure over his alleged ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, making him one of the highest-profile figures to step down after the recent release of documents.

The fallout also prompted the resignation of a top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and has sparked official inquiries into political and royal figures in Norway.

Bin Sulayem’s departure from the Dubai-based logistics giant was announced the same day the emirate’s ruler appointed a new chairman for the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, another role Bin Sulayem held.

Pressure mounted on the state-owned firm after two major investors, the UK development finance agency British International Investment and Canada’s second-largest pension fund, La Caisse, said this week they would suspend new investments with DP World over the matter.

Both organisations welcomed the resignation. The UK agency said it looked forward to continuing “our partnership to advance the development of key African trading ports”. In a statement, La Caisse said “the company took the appropriate measures” and it would “move quickly to work with DP World’s new leadership”.

DP World appointed Essa Kazim as the new chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as group chief executive officer, the Dubai Media Office reported. Kazim is the governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre, while Narayan was the company’s deputy CEO.

The documents, released by the US Department of Justice, revealed frequent correspondence between Bin Sulayem and Epstein for more than a decade after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

The correspondence allegedly includes business discussions, plans for Bin Sulayem to visit Epstein’s Caribbean island, and exchanges of an intimate nature. While being named is not evidence of wrongdoing, the contents prompted immediate scrutiny.

US Rep. Thomas Massie, who reviewed unredacted files, referenced the resignation in a post on X on Friday.

“DOJ red­acted information necessary to identify who sent Epstein the ‘torture video email.’ @RepRoKhanna and I first discovered his name and released it Monday. Today he resigns.”

Bin Sulayem was a key architect of Dubai’s transformation, having established the developer behind the emirate’s palm-shaped islands and helping build DP World into one of the world’s largest port operators.

Top lawyer resigns

The repercussions also rea­ched Wall Street, where Gold­man Sachs’ general counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, anno­unced she will resign at the end of June.

The decision followed the release of emails showing her extensive relationship with Epstein long after his conviction.

The interactions reportedly included career advice, questioning of his sex crimes, and personal messages where Ruemmler called him “sweetie” and “Uncle Jeffrey.”

Before joining Goldman Sachs in 2020, Ruemmler held senior roles at the Department of Justice and served as a legal advisor in the White House under then-President Barack Obama.

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said he accepted her decision.

‘Shocking connection’

Meanwhile, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Friday it was crucial to fully investigate the relationships between prominent Norwegians and Epstein.

“I think it has been quite shocking for people to get this insight into this world and the connection between people with power. And how it has affected people without power, who have been abused and subjected to assault,” Stoere told public broadcaster NRK. “As prime minister, I have a responsibility to speak clearly about this.”

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026