(Zero Hedge)—Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss—dubbed the “New Soros” by conservatives for his funding of leftwing causes—has been accused of sexual harassment in what is being described as a “jaw-dropping” lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in California’s San Luis Obispo County Superior Court last month, claims that Wyss exposed himself, “brazenly groped,” and made other unwanted sexual advances toward Madison Busby before forcing her to resign her job, according to a ‘jaw-dropping’ lawsuit filed in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on April 25.
New York Post reports:
Busby, 30, met her now-husband Bryce Mullins in 2019, when he was helping Wyss manage the 2,700-acre winery, Halter Ranch. The two later began dating and moved in together on the Paso Robles property. Mullins filed a separate suit April 1 alleging that Wyss fired him after Busby complained about the sexual misconduct in a private email to the billionaire — and reneged on providing him up to $30 million in equity interest in Halter Ranch after Mullins had operated the winery for six years, starting when he was just 26 years old.
Early on, Wyss “shared unwelcome stories about his sexual exploits and various affairs,” said “how much he enjoyed having a threesome, even with another man,” and suggested once “if Bryce is not behaving, you can join me in bed,” according to the Busby suit.The “abusive and predatory behavior” also included asking Mullins for “sexy” photos of Busby — and even groping her butt before she started working for him in September 2019, the suit alleges.
Wyss eventually floated a “foursome” with the couple and another friend of his named “Lori” and even subjected Busby to a live phone sex Facetime call between himself and the woman, the suit goes on.
By summer 2024, Busby had expressed discontent with what what calls “unreasonable expectations” and “inappropriate behavior and misconduct” exhibited by Wyss, who, the lawsuit claims, allegedly conceded that if Busby “ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win.” She later quit her job, citing “her own anxiety and distress,” per the lawsuit.
A representative for the winery strongly denied the explosive claims laid out in the filing.
“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,” a statement from the winery’s press representative reads. “The allegations in the complaint are not true and we intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround their time at the winery and their departure.”
Wyss is no stranger to sexual harassment allegations – having previously settled out of court for $1.5 million with a Colorado woman who claimed she experienced sexual abuse while employed at his Wyss Foundation, according to the Daily Caller.
Wyss, a foreign national who sold his medical device company Synthes for nearly $20 billion to Johnson & Johnson, has poured millions of dollars into leftwing organizations focused on climate change through his own foundation and groups connected to the dark money network operated by the shadowy Arabella Advisors. He has also supported leftwing causes via his advocacy group the Berger Action Fund, which has reportedly donated $339 million to non-profits since 2016.
“What was important for him was to find out that he could exert an influence through his foundation,” Heidi Wyss, the billionaire’s sister, once wrote. “At a single meeting, the board of trustees quite often allocated several million dollars. Thus behind the scenes a Swiss plays an important part in American politics.”
“The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund have no involvement with this matter,” a spokesperson said in a statement obtained by the Post. “The organizations’ charitable activities are totally separate from those of the Halter Ranch.”
