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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swiss-born liberal megadonor slapped with lawsuit for allegedly groping, sexually harassing winery employee
Swiss billionaire and liberal megadonor Hansjörg Wyss is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit from a now-former female employee in California who claims Wyss groped her, shared unwanted information about his sexual past and then ultimately retaliated against her when she denied his advances. Former Wyss employee Madison Busby, in a suit filed in San Luis Obispo County last month, claims that the 89-year-old Wyss "deliberately placed his hand on Ms. Busby's butt and groped her" the first time she was introduced to him in 2019 by her future husband, Bryce Mullins. "Mr. Wyss proceeded to tell Mr. Mullins in Ms. Busby's presence about how 'good' Ms. Busby's butt looked in the dress she was wearing," the lawsuit states. Mullins was working for the Wyss-owned Halter Ranch winery in Paso Robles, and Busby ultimately began working there in 2021. The lawsuit states that Busby did not speak up at first due to concerns that Mullins would lose his employment or standing. Gop Bill Cracks Down On 'Loophole' Allowing Foreign Donors To Pump Dark Money Into Us Elections Over the next few years, the lawsuit alleges other harassment from Wyss, including "making several sexual propositions" including telling her "how much he enjoyed having a threesome" and suggesting they engage in a "foursome." Read On The Fox News App "Throughout 2021 and 2022, Mr. Wyss frequently shared unwelcome stories about his sexual exploits and various affairs with other women," the lawsuit states. "In 2021, Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby and Mr. Mullins about his many sexual affairs outside of his marriage and stated there was nothing wrong with affairs. He further said that Americans were 'too uptight' around those having affairs." Other allegations include Wyss telling Busby about going to a movie theater with a woman named "Lori" and meeting a man he did not know and "initiated oral sex with him" before going back to her apartment and having a threesome. Swiss Billionaire Hansjörg Wyss Recently Poured Over $60M Into Propping Up Left-wing Groups And Causes Wyss is also alleged to have "subjected Ms. Busby to a live video of Lori while Mr. Wyss was having phone sex with her" and at one point told Busby "he often had phone sex with Lori and that she could orgasm multiple times just from 'dirty talk.'" "He went on to tell Ms. Busby that he usually had phone sex at Halter Ranch with Lori because his wife was not around," the lawsuit said. "Mr. Wyss mentioned to Ms. Busby that he wanted them to 'Facetime' Lori with him." A spokesperson for Halter Winery dismissed the allegations as "not true," telling Fox News Digital that they "intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround Mr. Mullins' and Ms. Busby's time at the winery and their departure." "For almost five years, starting in 2019, Mr. Mullins and his current wife voluntarily made themselves part of the Halter Winery community and took advantage of its owner's generosity," the spokesperson continued. "This included deciding to become employees of the winery, choosing to live at the winery rent free for years, frequently traveling with the owner to Europe, the Caribbean and elsewhere at the owner's expense, asking the owner and his wife to host their wedding party and inviting the owner to serve as Best Man. Through all these years, they never complained about the owner's conduct, or simply declined to spend so much time with him, until after they voluntarily left their employment at the winery in 2024." Wyss, according to the lawsuit, knew his actions could be legally problematic for him, telling Busby at one point in 2022, "If you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win." When Busby and Mullins began pulling away and decided to move to a smaller house on the property in order to ensure that Wyss would not be able to stay with them when he visited, the lawsuit alleges that Wyss retaliated against them by forcing her to take a pay cut and insisting the couple pay rent. Busby resigned from her position and sent a letter on the day she left to Wyss outlining her concerns about his "ongoing conduct and her own anxiety and distress as the result of that conduct." The complaint filed in April accuses Wyss of sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and sexual battery. Wyss is also facing a lawsuit from Mullins, who says the billionaire "abruptly terminated" his employment after Busby's complaint, despite bringing him out from the East Coast to work at the ranch and once promising Mullins would "have full control of the Halter Companies upon Mr. Wyss's death." Fox News Digital reached out to Busby's legal team for comment. "The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund have no involvement with this matter. The organizations' charitable activities are totally separate from those of the Halter Ranch," a Wyss foundation spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Wyss, who is referred to by some as the "new George Soros," is well-known in American politics as one of the most prominent liberal megadonors and has given hundreds of millions to Democratic causes through a network of left-wing article source: Swiss-born liberal megadonor slapped with lawsuit for allegedly groping, sexually harassing winery employee
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Swiss-born liberal megadonor slapped with lawsuit for allegedly groping, sexually harassing winery employee
Print Close By Andrew Miller Published May 19, 2025 Swiss billionaire and liberal megadonor Hansjörg Wyss is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit from a now-former female employee in California who claims Wyss groped her, shared unwanted information about his sexual past and then ultimately retaliated against her when she denied his advances. Former Wyss employee Madison Busby, in a suit filed in San Luis Obispo County last month, claims that the 89-year-old Wyss "deliberately placed his hand on Ms. Busby's butt and groped her" the first time she was introduced to him in 2019 by her future husband, Bryce Mullins. "Mr. Wyss proceeded to tell Mr. Mullins in Ms. Busby's presence about how 'good' Ms. Busby's butt looked in the dress she was wearing," the lawsuit states. Mullins was working for the Wyss-owned Halter Ranch winery in Paso Robles, and Busby ultimately began working there in 2021. The lawsuit states that Busby did not speak up at first due to concerns that Mullins would lose his employment or standing. GOP BILL CRACKS DOWN ON 'LOOPHOLE' ALLOWING FOREIGN DONORS TO PUMP DARK MONEY INTO US ELECTIONS Over the next few years, the lawsuit alleges other harassment from Wyss, including "making several sexual propositions" including telling her "how much he enjoyed having a threesome" and suggesting they engage in a "foursome." "Throughout 2021 and 2022, Mr. Wyss frequently shared unwelcome stories about his sexual exploits and various affairs with other women," the lawsuit states. "In 2021, Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby and Mr. Mullins about his many sexual affairs outside of his marriage and stated there was nothing wrong with affairs. He further said that Americans were 'too uptight' around those having affairs." Other allegations include Wyss telling Busby about going to a movie theater with a woman named "Lori" and meeting a man he did not know and "initiated oral sex with him" before going back to her apartment and having a threesome. SWISS BILLIONAIRE HANSJÖRG WYSS RECENTLY POURED OVER $60M INTO PROPPING UP LEFT-WING GROUPS AND CAUSES Wyss is also alleged to have "subjected Ms. Busby to a live video of Lori while Mr. Wyss was having phone sex with her" and at one point told Busby "he often had phone sex with Lori and that she could orgasm multiple times just from 'dirty talk.'" "He went on to tell Ms. Busby that he usually had phone sex at Halter Ranch with Lori because his wife was not around," the lawsuit said. "Mr. Wyss mentioned to Ms. Busby that he wanted them to 'Facetime' Lori with him." A spokesperson for Halter Winery dismissed the allegations as "not true," telling Fox News Digital that they "intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround Mr. Mullins' and Ms. Busby's time at the winery and their departure." "For almost five years, starting in 2019, Mr. Mullins and his current wife voluntarily made themselves part of the Halter Winery community and took advantage of its owner's generosity," the spokesperson continued. "This included deciding to become employees of the winery, choosing to live at the winery rent free for years, frequently traveling with the owner to Europe, the Caribbean and elsewhere at the owner's expense, asking the owner and his wife to host their wedding party and inviting the owner to serve as Best Man. Through all these years, they never complained about the owner's conduct, or simply declined to spend so much time with him, until after they voluntarily left their employment at the winery in 2024." Wyss, according to the lawsuit, knew his actions could be legally problematic for him, telling Busby at one point in 2022, "If you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win." When Busby and Mullins began pulling away and decided to move to a smaller house on the property in order to ensure that Wyss would not be able to stay with them when he visited, the lawsuit alleges that Wyss retaliated against them by forcing her to take a pay cut and insisting the couple pay rent. Busby resigned from her position and sent a letter on the day she left to Wyss outlining her concerns about his "ongoing conduct and her own anxiety and distress as the result of that conduct." The complaint filed in April accuses Wyss of sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and sexual battery. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Wyss is also facing a lawsuit from Mullins, who says the billionaire "abruptly terminated" his employment after Busby's complaint, despite bringing him out from the East Coast to work at the ranch and once promising Mullins would "have full control of the Halter Companies upon Mr. Wyss's death." Fox News Digital reached out to Busby's legal team for comment. "The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund have no involvement with this matter. The organizations' charitable activities are totally separate from those of the Halter Ranch," a Wyss foundation spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Wyss, who is referred to by some as the "new George Soros," is well-known in American politics as one of the most prominent liberal megadonors and has given hundreds of millions to Democratic causes through a network of left-wing nonprofits. Print Close URL
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea co-owner Hansjorg Wyss, 89, accused of sexual harassment after ‘groping young employee & suggesting a foursome'
CHELSEA co-owner Hansjorg Wyss has been accused of sexual harassment after allegedly groping a young employee, a lawsuit claimed. It has also been claimed 3 Chelsea co-owner Hansjorg Wyss has been accused of sexual harassment Credit: Getty 3 The lawsuit claimed the harassment unfolded at the Halter Ranch winery in California The alleged harassment took place at a winery he owns in Paso Robles, California, called Halter Ranch. Wyss is accused of making unwanted advances to Madison Busby, who worked at the site. The winery was managed by her now-husband Bryce Mullins. The lawsuit stated: 'While Ms Busby cooked at the stove, Mr Wyss, then in his mid-eighties and married, deliberately placed his hand on Ms Busby's butt and groped her." Read More Wyss also allegedly asked Mr Mullins if he had any sexual photographs of Ms Busby on his phone. A spokesperson from Halter Ranch strongly denied all allegations. 'We intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround their time at the winery and their departure,' a statement said. The lawsuit stated how Ms Busby moved into the winery with her now-husband in 2020 and became a staff member in 2021. Most read in Football During the stay, it is alleged Wyss made "several sexual propositions" towards the 30-year-old employee. He is also accused of sharing explicit sexual stories with the couple and sharing tales of affairs. Once Ms Busby became an official employee, the lawsuit also claims Wyss pushed for threesomes with herself and Mr Mullins - as well as other people. She did not make any complaints at the time over fears they would lose their jobs, it is claimed. The 30-year-old left the winery in 2024 and has since filed the lawsuit. In a statement denying the allegations, Halter Ranch added: 'For almost five years, starting in 2019, Mr Mullins and his current wife voluntarily made themselves part of the Halter Winery community and took advantage of its owner's generosity. 'This included deciding to become employees of the winery, choosing to live at the winery rent free for years, frequently travelling with the owner to Europe, the Caribbean and elsewhere at the owner's expense, asking the owner and his wife to host their wedding party and inviting the owner to serve as best man. 'Through all these years, they never complained about the owner's conduct, or simply declined to spend so much time with him, until after they voluntarily left their employment at the winery in 2024.' Wyss has an estimated He is the founder of Synthes USA, the world's largest medical device manufacturer making internal screws and plates for broken bones. They manufactured the company's devices and exported them to the US which led to the billionaire opening up his first manufacturing plant in Colorado. Under Wyss' guidance, the American division sales team expanded and trained surgeons on how to use its products such as plates and internal screws. This helped him to officially became Synthes' worldwide CEO and chairman until HR decided in 2007 that he would only want to represent as the chairman before Johnson & Johnson acquired Synthes in 2012. Wyss sold Synthes for a staggering amount of £14.7bn in cash and stocks where he would go on to purchase stakes in a publicly-traded biotech companies NovoCure and Molecular. In 2022, Wyss was part of the consortium that bought Chelsea after 3 In 2022, Wyss was part of the consortium that bought Chelsea Credit: AP
The Sun
16-05-2025
- The Sun
Chelsea co-owner Hansjorg Wyss, 89, accused of sexual harassment after ‘groping young employee & suggesting a foursome'
CHELSEA co-owner Hansjorg Wyss has been accused of sexual harassment after allegedly groping a young employee, a lawsuit claimed. It has also been claimed the 89-year-old suggested a foursome to the female staff member, 30. 3 The alleged harassment took place at a winery he owns in Paso Robles, California, called Halter Ranch. Wyss is accused of making unwanted advances to Madison Busby, who worked at the site. The winery was managed by her now-husband Bryce Mullins. The lawsuit stated: 'While Ms Busby cooked at the stove, Mr Wyss, then in his mid-eighties and married, deliberately placed his hand on Ms Busby's butt and groped her." Wyss also allegedly asked Mr Mullins if he had any sexual photographs of Ms Busby on his phone. A spokesperson from Halter Ranch strongly denied all allegations. 'We intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround their time at the winery and their departure,' a statement said. The lawsuit stated how Ms Busby moved into the winery with her now-husband in 2020 and became a staff member in 2021. During the stay, it is alleged Wyss made "several sexual propositions" towards the 30-year-old employee. He is also accused of sharing explicit sexual stories with the couple and sharing tales of affairs. Once Ms Busby became an official employee, the lawsuit also claims Wyss pushed for threesomes with herself and Mr Mullins - as well as other people. She did not make any complaints at the time over fears they would lose their jobs, it is claimed. The 30-year-old left the winery in 2024 and has since filed the lawsuit. In a statement denying the allegations, Halter Ranch added: 'For almost five years, starting in 2019, Mr Mullins and his current wife voluntarily made themselves part of the Halter Winery community and took advantage of its owner's generosity. 'This included deciding to become employees of the winery, choosing to live at the winery rent free for years, frequently travelling with the owner to Europe, the Caribbean and elsewhere at the owner's expense, asking the owner and his wife to host their wedding party and inviting the owner to serve as best man. 'Through all these years, they never complained about the owner's conduct, or simply declined to spend so much time with him, until after they voluntarily left their employment at the winery in 2024.' Wyss has an estimated net worth of £4.2 billion according to Forbes. He is the founder of Synthes USA, the world's largest medical device manufacturer making internal screws and plates for broken bones. They manufactured the company's devices and exported them to the US which led to the billionaire opening up his first manufacturing plant in Colorado. Under Wyss' guidance, the American division sales team expanded and trained surgeons on how to use its products such as plates and internal screws. This helped him to officially became Synthes' worldwide CEO and chairman until HR decided in 2007 that he would only want to represent as the chairman before Johnson & Johnson acquired Synthes in 2012. Wyss sold Synthes for a staggering amount of £14.7bn in cash and stocks where he would go on to purchase stakes in a publicly-traded biotech companies NovoCure and Molecular. In 2022, Wyss was part of the consortium that bought Chelsea after sanctions were imposed on the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Chelsea FC were contacted for comment.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Billionaire Chelsea owner, 89, accused of sexually harassing an employee at his California winery
A Chelsea co-owner has been accused of sexually harassing one of his employees at a winery he owns in California. Hansjorg Wyss was part of the consortium that purchased the Premier League giants back in 2022 along with Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital after Roman Abramovich was subjected to sanctions. In addition to the west London club, Wyss owns a winery, Halter Ranch, in Paso Robles, and regularly donates to left-wing causes after making his fortune by selling a medical device manufacturer in 2012. He is thought to have a net worth of around $4.8billion (£3.6bn), has given billions to charities, and is particularly aligned with environmental causes. The 89-year-old has had a sexual harassment suit filed against him, alleging that he subjected the complainant to unwanted advances. One such advance includes allegedly attempting to initiate a threesome with the complainant, Madison Busby, and her husband, Bryce Mullins. However, it further adds that Wyss admitted a potential lawsuit against him would be successful, allegedly saying: 'If you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win.' The lawsuit contains a number of alleged instances of 'inappropriate behaviour' from the Chelsea co-owner while Busby was working at the Halter Ranch winery. The winery has claimed that the allegations are false, stating: 'We intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround their time at the winery and their departure.' Busby claimed she was left 'appalled and disgusted' by the Swiss billionaires alleged actions, but felt unable to complain due to the risk of her later-husband Mullins losing her job. 'While Ms Busby cooked at the stove, Mr Wyss, then in his mid-eighties and married, deliberately placed his hand on Ms Busby's butt and groped her,' the lawsuit contends, after the billionaire made a visit in 2019. 'Mr. Wyss proceeded to tell Mr. Mullins, in Ms. Busby's presence, about how "good" Ms. Busby's butt looked in the dress she was wearing,' the lawsuit alleges. 'A few nights later, Mr. Wyss suggested to Ms. Busby that she wear the same dress again because it looked "sexy" on her.' Busby later relocated to the winery in 2020, and later that year was subjected to another alleged incident of inappropriate behaviour during another visit from Wyss, accompanied by late wife Roz Stone Zander. 'During their stay, Mr Wyss made several sexual propositions of Ms Busby,' the lawsuit says. 'In addition, Mr Wyss told stories of his sexual exploits in graphic detail to Ms Busby and Mr Mullins. These included tales of his past and ongoing sexual affairs with women.' In 2021 the complainant became an employee at the ranch, after which Wyss 'began to proposition Ms Busby and Mr Mullins to have sex with him, either as a group or with Ms Busby alone, and Mr Wyss began trying to insert himself into their sex lives.' The lawsuit also notes the 89-year-old expressed the sentiment that Americans were 'too uptight' about the topic of affairs, which he allegedly felt there was little wrong with. According to the complaint, the billionaire is also alleged to have enquired what Busby's favourite sex positions were. On several occasions, Wyss would even undress in front of Busby and Mullins - and invite them to remove their clothing as well, she claims. Busby said Wyss would continue to make sexual advances at her - both alone and in front of Mullins. 'Mr Wyss told Ms Busby how much he enjoyed having a threesome, even with another man,' the lawsuit states. 'He even suggested a "foursome" and stated that it would be "fun" for the three of them and another woman by the name of "Lori."' Wyss is alleged to have told Busby in 2021 about a sexual experience he had with 'Lori', and a trip to the cinema they took where they 'met a man they did not know, initiated oral sex with him, and then all returned to her apartment to have a threesome.' She now claims she deserves compensation for damages, including 'lost earnings, back-pay, future-pay, lost employment benefits and unpaid wages.' Describing the impact the alleged incidents had on Busby, the suit continued: 'They made her profoundly uncomfortable not only due to their nature but also due to the fact that she was married and Mr Wyss was her employer. 'Ms Busby attempted to ignore the comments, change the subject or deflect them. At the time, she did not raise complaints with Mr Wyss out of concern for their employment.' It also alleges that on her return from maternity leave in 2023 her salary was decreased by $10,000 (£7,500), and she was later forced to resign in summer 2024 as a result of the alleged ongoing inappropriate behaviour. Busby is suing for unspecified damages. However, this is not the first time Wyss has been accused of sexual harassment. In 2013, he settled out of court for $1.5 million with a Colorado woman who claimed she suffered sexual abuse for years as an employee at the Wyss Foundation, according to the Daily Caller. She had claimed she had to have sex with Wyss in order to get him to fund grants to nonprofits that focused on at-risk youth and sex trafficking. Years before, another former employee filed a federal suit against him, claiming he created a hostile work environment at Synthes - a medical device manufacturer he founded to make implants to mend bone fractures.
