Couple accuses Paso Robles winery’s billionaire owner of sexual harassment
The billionaire owner of a Paso Robles winery was sued for alleged sexual harassment and breaching a contract last month.
Two lawsuits were filed against 89-year-old Johann Georg “Hansjörg” Wyss, the Swiss billionaire — worth $4.8 billion according to Forbes — who owns Halter Ranch, one by Madison Busby on April 21 and the other by her now-husband, Bryce Mullins on April 1.
Busby claims in the lawsuit that Wyss sexually harassed her for years, including making sexual comments toward her, suggesting she take part in a “foursome” and sharing stories about his sexual affairs. Mullins claims he “uprooted his life” to join Wyss at the winery and was forced to work two jobs for one salary in “intolerable work conditions” because he was promised significant equity worth at least $30 million, but Wyss failed to actually deliver on the promise.
The winery, however, claims Mullins and Busby “voluntarily made themselves part of the Halter Winery community and took advantage of its owner’s generosity” for nearly five years since 2019.
Mullins and Busby chose to become employees of the winery, chose to live at the winery rent free, traveled with Wyss to Europe and Caribbean at Wyss’ expense, asked Wyss to host their wedding party and invited Wyss to serve as best man at their wedding, the winery said.
“The allegations in the complaint are not true, and we intend to vigorously advance the facts that surround Mr. Mullins’ and Ms. Busby’s time at the winery and their departure,” the winery said in the emailed statement. “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.”
Case management conferences are set for both cases in August.
The majority of Wyss’ fortune is from the $20.2 billion sale of medical device manufacturer Synthes, which he founded, to Johnson & Johnson in 2012, according to Forbes. He is “one of the most philanthropic people in the world,” the magazine said, with two additional charitable foundations worth $2 billion. He also is a co-owner of the Chelsea Football Club in London.
Winery owner made lewd comments, asked for ‘foursome,’ woman says
According to Busby’s lawsuit, she met Mullins in 2019 when Mullins was working for Wyss at Halter Ranch. The two began dating seriously, and she was eager to meet Wyss.
Busby first met Wyss in September 2019, the lawsuit said, when she visited the winery and Wyss suggested she, him and Mullins cook together instead of eating at the restaurant.
This was when the harassment started, the lawsuit said.
As Busby cooked at the stove, Wyss “deliberately placed his hand on Ms. Busby’s butt and groped her,” the lawsuit said. Wyss also told Mullins — while in front of Busby — how “good” her butt looked in the dress she was wearing, the lawsuit said.
A few nights later, Wyss suggested Busby wear the same dress again because it looked “sexy” on her and asked Mullins if he had “sexy” photos of Busby on his phone.
Despite feeling appalled and disgusted by Wyss’ inappropriate behavior, the lawsuit said, Busby did not complain and hoped it was an isolated incident.
“She had developed strong feelings for Mr. Mullins and was afraid that any complaints would jeopardize his employment and end their blossoming relationship.”
Busby moved in with Mullins on Halter Ranch property in April 2020 as she worked remotely for an architectural firm. When Wyss and his wife visited the ranch a few months later and during that stay, Wyss made “several sexual propositions of Ms. Busby,” the lawsuit said.
Wyss told stories of his sexual exploits “in graphic detail” to Busby and Mullins, include past and ongoing sexual affairs with women, which Busby again did not complain about because she did not want to ruin Mullins’ relationship with Wyss.
During the summer of 2020, Busby began working on renovations and design projects for Halter Ranch, eventually becoming an official employee reporting to Wyss in January 2021.
That’s when Wyss began asking Busby and Mullins to have sex with him either as a group or with Busby alone, the lawsuit said.
This included telling Busby during a 2021 trip to Wyoming that she should join him in bed if Mullins “wasn’t behaving,” suggesting to Busby she and Mullins have a “foursome” with him and a woman named “Lori,” and making comments about having sex with Busby during a 2022 trip to Switzerland, according to the lawsuit.
Wyss is also alleged to have shared several “unwelcome stories” about his sexual experiences and affairs with other women from 2021 ot 2022, the lawsuit said.
This included sharing stories of a “threesome” he had with Lori and another man, showing Busby a live video of Lori as Wyss had phone sex with her and telling Busby he wanted her to FaceTime with Lori and making several comments about sex. He also would remove his clothes in front of Busby and Mullins and invite them to do the same.
Despite finding these stories “deeply offensive,” the lawsuit said, Busby attempted to ignore them and did not complain out of concern for her and Mullins’ employment.
“Busby felt pressured and compelled to stay silent because he was her employer and her husband’s employer,” the lawsuit said. “She felt she had no choice but to endure it or jeopardize her and Mullins’ jobs, as well as Mr. Mullins’ promised ownership in the winery and estate.”
Allegedly in May or June of 2022, the lawsuit said, Wyss told Busby and Mullins that “if you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win,” but did not stop the sexual harassment.
When Busby and Mullins decided to move into a smaller house on the property that would not be able to accommodate Wyss on his visits, Wyss insisted they stay in the larger house. When they refused, Wyss insisted they pay market rate rent, which was $1,650 per month for the property. The previous renter only paid $300 in rent, the lawsuit said, and Busby and Mullins were not given an explanation for the higher rent.
Then, when Busby returned to work after having her first child, Wyss told Busby and Mullins they were being overpaid and Busby agreed to reduce her pay by $10,000 in fear of further retaliation.
According to the lawsuit, Busby and Mullins believe Wyss retaliated against them because of their efforts to move into a smaller house on the property in order to avoid Wyss’ harassment.
Busby sent an email to Wyss on July 31 expressing her concerns about the unreasonable expectations and employment standards she experienced while also enduring Wyss’ inappropriate behavior and misconduct, the lawsuit said. She was forced to resign due to the anxiety and distress she experienced as a result of Wyss’ conduct, the lawsuit said, her last day being July 31.
Winery owner retaliated against couple when they wanted to move into house to avoid him, lawsuit says
According to Mullins’ lawsuit, he first met Wyss in February 2016 while Mullins was an undergraduate at Harvard University and was assisting a business school professor with a book on family wealth.
Mullins aspired to work in finance, and Wyss hired Mullins as an investment analyst for IMP Inc., Wyss’ family offiice in Cambridge, Mass.
Mullins “devoted long hours” to the job and “performed exemplary” at the office, developing a close professional and personal relationship with Wyss for the next two years.
Wyss bought Halter Ranch in 2000 as a “hobby project” after “falling in love with Paso Robles, California,” both lawsuits said. The winery was operating at a significant loss until Mullins was pressured to “uproot his life” to become the winery’s general manager — a move he was reluctant to make because he did not want to sidetrack his finance career and that he said he was advised against accepting by several colleagues.
Wyss “was a demanding and inflexible boss” who promised Mullins the winery stint would be no more than two years, the lawsuit said, and Mullins agreed to take the job “believing he had not choice but to say yes to his boss and mentor.”
Mullins first worked as deputy general manager of the winery while also working for IMP in April 2018, the lawsuit said. By October 2019, Wyss promoted Mulins to vice president and general manger of the winery, which made Mullins an officer of the Halter Companies.
Mullins spent the majority of his free time working to grow the winery into a profitable business, and by early 2020 Mullins was ready to move on from the endeavor after the winery’s financial health had improved, the lawsuit said. But in a conversation with Wyss about the subject, Wyss told Mullins he wanted Mullins to have full control of Halters Companies upon his death in order to protect the winery from his daughter and son-in-law.
Wyss promised Mullins a “significant” and controlling ownership upon Wyss’ death in order to persuade Mullins to stay at the winery. Mullins continued to work for both the winery and IMP but only received payment from his employment at the winery, the lawsuit said.
Wyss eventually promised Mullins a 30% equity interest in the company — equivalent to at least $30 million — to convince Mullins to stay at the winery. But in the final versions of the company’s operating agreement in December 2022, the clause that stated Mullins’ 30% equity interest was removed, the lawsuit said. Accountants told Mullins that the equity interest was already addressed in Wyss’ estate documents.
Mullins claims he was forced to resign from his job due to “intolerable” work conditions caused by Wyss, specifically the sexual harassment of his wife, Busby.
When the two decided to move to a smaller house on the property to limit their contact with Wyss, Wyss “took offense and became angry,” the lawsuit said. Mullins claimed Wyss retaliated against him by threatening to fire him, belittling him, reducing his salary and humiliating him in front of colleagues.
Mullins felt he “had no choice but to resign” in May 2024 because of the work conditions.
Mullins agreed to assist with the winery until Sept. 30 “out of loyalty to Mr. Wyss,” but then was terminated just after Busby’s July 31 email that complained about Wyss’ behavior.
The severance offered did not take into account the equity Wyss promised Mullins and required Mullins to release any and all legal claims to the equity. When Wyss told Mullins he did not plan to honor the equity agreement, Mullins “had no choice but to pursue this legal action.”
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 2:27 PM.
