Chef Games LA 2028 sells company over ties to Epstein accomplice Maxwell

The head of the committee organizing the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles is putting his entertainment company up for sale. Casey Wasserman cites the fuss that has arisen over his ties with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as the reason. He calls the discussion about that relationship distracting.

Wasserman, grandson of a Hollywood magnate, founded the agency of the same name more than 20 years ago, with which he represents athletes and artists. Because of his contacts in the sports world and the city of LA, Wasserman was appointed chairman of the committee that brought and organized the Games to the US in 2014.

He came into controversy last week when his name appeared in documents from the Epstein case that were released by the American justice department. Wasserman appeared to have maintained flirtatious email contact with Maxwell, who was convicted in 2020 of recruiting underage girls for Epstein. “What would it take for me to see you in a tight leather outfit,” Wasserman wrote, for example.

Due to his ties to Maxwell, some artists canceled their contracts with Wasserman. Most striking was singer Chappell Roan. He stated that “artists deserve a representative who aligns with their values ​​and defends their safety and dignity.”

In addition, there were calls for Wasserman to hand over the leadership of the organizing committee. However, the rest of the committee voted this week to keep him on. The International Olympic Committee said it was a local matter and had no further say in the matter.

Wasserman, meanwhile, said she regretted the contact with Maxwell, but emphasized that the contact predated her conviction. He also vowed never to have had a professional or personal relationship with Epstein.

In a memo that is in the hands of several American media, Wasserman now nevertheless writes that he is selling his company because his involvement is distracting. “I am deeply sorry that my personal mistakes have caused you so much inconvenience,” he wrote to his staff. “I’m sorry that my brief contact 23 years ago caused so much trouble for you, this company and the clients.”

In the letter, Wasserman immediately says that he will not leave the organizing committee. “I will be fully committed to giving Los Angeles the Olympic Games in 2028 that this beautiful city deserves.”

It is the third major departure in the business world in just a few days due to the revelations about Epstein. Yesterday it also became clear that the logistics company DP World from Dubai is losing its director. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem turned out to have been close friends with Epstein and frequently exchanged emails about conquests of women, porn sites and escort services.

DP World is the main player in the port of Dubai and has many terminals worldwide, including in Rotterdam. Epstein called Sulayem “one of my trusted friends in the world” in his emails. Sulayem himself has not commented on his departure.

Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer also announced her departure after it became clear that she appeared 8,400 times in the released documents. Kathy Ruemmler also appeared to have maintained contact with him after Epstein’s conviction in 2009.

It also turned out that she had been frequently feted by him, with luxurious clothing, jewelry and sweets trips. When Epstein once bought her chicken soup to recuperate during an illness, she wrote him a thank-you email saying “how kind and thoughtful, thank you Uncle Jeffrey!!!”

Top lawyer Ruemmler now says she is leaving in the interest of the investment bank. “It is my responsibility to put Goldman Sachs first.” She will take until the end of June to train a successor.