Billionaire pro-democratic donor Hansjörg Wyss was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee

Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, who is known to be a major donor to the Western left, was accused Thursday of repeatedly sexually harassing a former female employee. The 89-year-old tycoon, who has at different times supported the Democratic Party and pumped huge sums of money into pro-democracy and left-wing organizations in the United States, was formally accused in a lawsuit of harassing a former project manager named Madison Busby inside a winery in the California town of Paso Robles, which he owns.

In the lawsuit, Busby, who was Wyss' employee at Halter Ranch Winery, alleged that the Swiss billionaire groped her, exposed himself to her naked and even told her different stories about "his sexual escapades outside of marriage." The former employee also claimed that Wyss spread false rumors about her and her husband, Bryce Mullins, by allegedly claiming that the two engaged in a sexual encounter with him and another woman who was not identified.

"If you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win."

Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Busby claimed that Wyss retaliated strongly against herafter she rejected his sexual advances. The former employee's lawyer even claimed that the harassment by the Swiss tycoon caused his client financial harm in the form of lost income, as well as emotional distress. "Madison has suffered severe emotional distress from the harassment which took place over the course of many years, and also from lost wages and then future damages. She’s been harmed immensely." The complaint also claims that Wyss went so far as to admit to Busby in 2022: "if you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win," attorney John Ly stated.

Halter Ranch, the property Wyss owns and where the incident stated in the lawsuit allegedly occurred,denied the allegations against its owner. "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" the company stated in response to the complaint.