A prominent figure in U.S. left-wing financial support has faced serious allegations of sexual harassment from former employees at a California winery. Madison Busby claims Swiss billionaire Hanjorg Wyss subjected her to unwanted sexual advances while working there.
Busby’s lawsuit, filed on April 25 in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, accuses Wyss of exposing himself and “brutally groping” her prior to his resignation. She met her partner, Blythe Mullins, in 2019 at the 2,700-acre winery known as Halter Ranch, and the couple later moved to a nearby property in Paso Robles.
A representative for the winery stated that, throughout their time there, Busby and Mullins did not complain about Wyss. They allegedly chose to continue working until they voluntarily left in 2024.
Mullins has also filed a lawsuit, indicating he was terminated after Busby raised concerns about Wyss’s conduct in an email.
Having purchased the winery in 2000, Wyss has since expanded his holdings, opening additional wineries in both Temecula, California, and Fredericksburg, Texas.
Busby, who was employed as a project manager from January 2021 to July 2024, claims Wyss made inappropriate remarks and questions about her and Mullins’s sexual preferences.
Initially, Mullins and Busby lived rent-free at a property owned by Wyss, but rental charges began after Busby went on maternity leave in 2023. When she returned, her salary decreased from $75,000 to $65,000.
Busby’s complaints outline issues including sexual harassment and retaliation, claiming entitlement to damages for lost income and emotional distress.
In a response, a representative for the winery suggested that the couple took advantage of Wyss’s generosity by working and living on-site while enjoying various benefits.
This isn’t the first instance of misconduct allegations against Wyss; in 2013, he settled with a woman who accused him of years of sexual abuse while employed by one of his foundations.
Wyss gained wealth from selling his company, Synthes, to Johnson & Johnson for nearly $20 billion in 2012, and has since made substantial charitable contributions. Although non-Americans cannot directly donate to U.S. election candidates, he has supported left-leaning causes in the past.
A spokesperson noted that the issues surrounding the winery are separate from the activities of the Wyss Foundation.
