Newsletters
New York-based reputation management firm Terakeet was paid $6 million by the United Arab Emirates to improve the image of Emirati Ambassador to Washington Yousef al-Otaiba after reports linked him to sex-trafficking allegations, according to a report published on Sunday by The New York Times.
The report said Terakeet launched a long-term digital reputation campaign aimed at promoting positive content about Otaiba and pushing unfavorable reports lower in internet search results.
In 2017, investigative outlet The Intercept published a report linking Otaiba to sex workers and traffickers.
According to The New York Times, Terakeet dispatched a manager from its Syracuse headquarters to Washington in 2019 to begin efforts to repair the ambassador’s online image.
The Times reported that Terakeet initially focused on tourism-related promotion for the UAE before expanding efforts to suppress negative stories related to Otaiba.
The firm reportedly created a personal website for Otaiba and later used an anonymous editor account called “VentureKit” alongside another account, “Quorum816,” to add positive material to Otaiba’s Wikipedia page in 2020.
The changes were later removed and the page restored, according to the report.
However, Terakeet allegedly continued reshaping Otaiba’s digital footprint by creating profiles emphasizing his leadership credentials and distributing them to organizations linked to him, including the Milken Institute, Special Olympics and Harvard Kennedy School.
The stated objective, according to the report, was to move reports about Otaiba’s alleged links to sex trafficking away from the first page of Google search results.
By 2023, The New York Times said the strategy had succeeded.
The newspaper reported that The Intercept article had moved from the first page of Google results to later pages and now appears significantly lower in searches.
According to the report, favorable UAE-related blogs written by Terakeet staff were also used to strengthen profiles connected to Otaiba and boost their visibility in search rankings.
The Times said Otaiba declined detailed comment but confirmed Terakeet had carried out work for the UAE.
The report also noted that Terakeet has worked with other high-profile clients facing reputational crises, including former Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathryn Ruemmler, who left her position after reports about ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein emerged.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
