Sir Anothony Ritossa's Family Office Investment Summits - real or fake?
JustDiligence received a request to verify the authenticity of Sir Anthony Ritossa Family Office Investment summits from a prospective participant.
The preliminary results amazed us so much that we decided to publish most of the results of our investigation.
Sir Anthony Ritossa’s investment summits (agenda, description: https://www.siranthonyritossa.com) are a series of yearly high-profile events billed as the “world’s largest and most exclusive gathering of family wealth”. It brings together
“ultra exclusive 300 Elite Family Offices, Prominent Conglomerate Business Owners, Sheikhs, Royal Families, Private Investment Companies, International Business Moguls, Sovereign Wealth Funds, & industry professionals representing over $4.5 trillion in investor wealth and making it the world’s most influential gathering of elite family office decision makers”
What is a “family office”? A family office is a private company that handles investments and wealth management for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Generally, that means people or families with $100 million in investable assets or more, with the main goal of organizing and managing the wealth for the next generation.
In the orgaznizers’ words,
“The most powerful and influential investors representing elite family offices travel from around the world to convene in Monaco at Sir Anthony Ritossa’s 19th Global Family Office Investment Summit”.
However, out of the The Top Ten Family Offices With The Most Direct Startup Investments according to Crunchbase, we did not find a single one on the summit’s agenda. We also found none from the 98 Largest Family Office Rankings by Total Assets by SWFI, and none from the Top 50 wealth managers according to Forbes.
But you would see a lot other people, many of whom indeed frequent Sir Anthony's summits:
A panel on a recent Family Office Investment Summit.
Let’s look at the summit’s hosts first.
The organizers.
The summits are chaired by Prof. Sir Anthony Ritossa, His Royal Highness Prince Michel de Yougoslavie, and Markus Lehner:Prof. Sir Anthony Ritossa, HONDBA FRSA
“The 19th Ritossa Family Office Investment Summit in Monaco brings together the world’s top family offices and private investors to engage in discussion and debate of the most critical issues facing our planet.
"It is an honour to host such an illustrious group, and I appreciate the High Patronage & support of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and appreciative of the support of my dear friends H.R.H. Prince Michel de Yougoslavie, & Markus Lehner, and all the esteemed delegates joining us”.
Sir Anthony Ritossa, Chairman of Ritossa Family Office & Host of Ritossa Global Family Office Investment Summits, UAE
Prince Michel de Yougoslavie
"It is an honour and a pleasure to be the 19th Ritossa Family Office Investment Grand Ambassador in Monaco on June 27-29, 2022.
H.R.H. Prince Michel de Yougoslavie, Grandson of King Umberto of Italy and Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, Monaco
Markus Lehner
Sir Anthony is guiding his family office conferences best through these times, and that's why they are the world's No 1. summits in all aspects.
Therefore, I am even more delighted to serve again as the Chairman of the 19th Ritossa Family Office Investment Summit here in Monaco.”
Markus Lehner of Markus Lehner Organization, Markus Lehner Private Office and Markus Lehner Investments
The dignitaries.
Now let’s look at the headliners of Ritossa’s summits, the dignitaries.Queen Diambi
The queen is not a queen, but an impostor, trying to speculate on the heritage she invented.
Raised in Staten Island, New York, Queen Diambi from the Democratic Republic of Congo is very active in social causes and blockchain initiatives ... has a doctorate degree in International Law and Order.
Her Royal Highness Queen Diambi Kabatusuila Tshiyoyo Muata, Queen of the Order of the Leopard of the Bakwa Luntu People of Kasaï Democratic Republic of Congo.
His Highness Prince Mahmoud Salah Al Din Assaf
A hereditary Royal Prince of the 7th century Assaf Dynasty. His long dynasty is one of the oldest of all Middle East.
Mahmoud Salah-Al-Din began his bilingual academic studies at King Khalid International School in Saudi Arabia, a High School of American Curriculum standards. He is fully bilingual in native English and Arabic.
He began his military career as Cultural Trainer for the [US] government contractor Akima based in Fort Irwin California.
His Excellency Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Duaij bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa
A Bahreini impostor, preying on gullible blockchain startups not understanding what a sheikh is.
Coming from a ruling family, [my understanding of] the importance of Family Offices, Family Business, and Entrepreneurship is next to none.
I appreciate bridging Families and Businesses with like-minded visions based on integrity, friendship, and sustainability. Our time on this beautiful planet is limited, and I strive to achieve impact for the generations to come.
His Excellence Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Duaij Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa in Dubai
Milan Krajnc
Full investigation
Sir Dr. Milan Krajnc is an expert in everything, a prolific aithor, in the field of "how to be rich" books and an inventor of his own science.
"He is trained for personal advising, psychology, marketing, negotiation and lobbying at organisations of any size and scope, from local to national levels. Also, he is an expert on the State psychology and local authorities.”
Francesco Lombardo
Mr. Lombardo pretends his psedo-psychologocal coaching gig is an investment company.
Frequent speaker at different events, Francesco has exposed the unversal connecton between people's relationship to money and the impact this has on their families, businesses, and legacies.
Francesco Lombardo, Founder, Veritage Family Office, Canada.
Jason Ma
"Professional keynote speaker" - with, in our opinion, nothing behind but hot air.
Chief Mentor of Next-Gen Leaders
Rainmaker
Sought after speaker, one of “the World's Top Experts" and Investor
The startups.
So, we looked into the organizers and the bait, now we will look into some of the startups looking for funding at these summits. They pay anywhere from 18,000 to 200,000 euros, depending on the level of exclusivity in hope of being able to get some attention from sheiks and other investors to pitch their ideas and get financing.
Not every level includes a fireside chat with elite investors (as a matter of fact, the “Ultra Exclusive Keynote Fireside Chat” featured none other than Prince Michel de Yougoslavie, the ex-Madoff fundraiser, who is going to tell those willing to pay €50,000 about “Insights from one of Europe’s Oldest Ruling Families”) or one-on-one meeting with Mr. Lehner. But even for general admission Ritossa promises an investor delegate ratio of 3:1.
Ritossa Summit participation packages (click to download pdf)
We will concentrate on VIP Speakers, that is, those who spent at least 30,000 EUR to sit on a panel. Yes, it has nothing to do with expertise, just how much you’re willing to pay Mr. Ritossa:
30,000 EUR summit package
And if you’re ready to shell out €85,000, you will be the moderator of a panel of your choice, moderating those lowlifes who paid €30,000:
85,000 EUR summit package
Update (Oct 20, 2022): In additon, Mr. Ritossa tried to force a "success fee agreement" on the participants - this means if an investment deal is signed with a participating investor, Ritossa is owed a kickback of up to 8% (VF). What kind of startup would agree to these terms? A special kind...
Jarrett Preston (Idoneus)
 sq.jpg)
Mr. Preston's new startup adds a blockchain twist to his previous Ponzi scheme (Obsidian).
Jarrett Preston is an expert in the field of "value for value exchange" within the luxury asset markets. Jarrett has accumulated nearly 25 years of direct industry experience as a respected Strategic Advisor and C Level Executive.
Jarrett's analytical thinking and strategic planning in luxury asset trading have been invaluable.
Fraser Gordon (QuantumWorks)
"Quantum Works seeks to blur the lines between gaming and investing."
As a talented and successful entrepreneur, [Fraser Gordon] recognised the opportunity to combine the two evolving markets of gaming and cryptocurrency.
A multi-award winning Scottish businessman and the CEO of Quantum Works.
Viktoriya Kazhan (Zorachka)
Zorachka is not a scam.
It is a sad story about how paying to crooks does not bring funding.
Full investigation
Michael S. Young of Mediatrix Capital
It is even less often that someone is indicted of that after receiving an award for the best famly office asset managemnt.
And then the story contonues, englulfng more people...
Daniel Tanner & Julia Tanner (Platon Finance)
A next generation of swindlers, who are not simply audacious, but also illiterate.
Power couple Daniel and Julia Tanner, are the founders of Platon Life, a cryptocurrency Central European fintech startup.
It was an opportunity for them to grow a financial legacy for their own family, and a way to give other people an opportunity to do the same.
MoonRabbit by Angel Versetti
Member of Forbes 30 under 30, member of Forbes Council, endorsed by European Institute of Innovation & Technology's Food program.
Founder of several startups with valuation in the hundres of billions of dollars.
Tatsiana Zaretskaya
An exotic dancer with history of deception who swindled EU governments out of millions of euros
The CEO of LaavaTech, a revolutionary startup that promises to cut elecricity costs for indoor farms by 90% — i.e. 10 times.
Like Versetti, she is also a member of Forbes 30 under 30, Forbes Council, and also endorsed by EIT Food of European Institute of Innovation & Technology.
Rachel Ritfeld from Bank of Nevis International Trust Services Inc
The "bank"'s president, now hiding from interpol, was also present at the conference.
Vice President, Global Business Development for Bank of Nevis International Trust Services Inc.
The verdict.
Mr. Ritossa’s traveling circus is self-sufficient:
- Titles are handed out by an enterprising Lebanese “prince”,
- Professorships are the responsibility of the owner of an online school with 2 employees, member of the prince’s council
- Successful investors (bait) are portrayed by a German impostor whose investors lost all the money they invested in his company,
- The blue blood of European aristocracy is provided by a Balkan-American who used to fundraise for Bernie Madoff,
- The combined aroma of near money is then monetized by “Sir” Ritossa at conferences, fleecing startups for pitching their ideas to “family investors” in naïve hope of financing.
- A substantial number of attending startups are swindlers as well, paying money to Ritossa in the hope to extract some money from “rich family offices” to invest in shady startups that have no path to profitability.
Mostly the same people on all summits... (from the brochure) Prince Michel de Yougoslavie, Prince Assaf, Michael Lerner, Francesco Lombardo, Prince Michel again ...
90% [of the family office representatives] were no-show. Claiming need to be elsewhere when I reached out to them or not responding at all.
space for some 200, max. 250 people. That includes all the exhibitors and startups, which were plenty. Almost everyone I met has been looking for family offices. The ones present were mostly speaking on the stage. And the ones I talked to were mostly small or ones with some standing relations to Ritossa. Which I see confirmed looking now also critically at the images of the people I see on the pictures — mostly sponsors and “friends” that are over and again on the Ritossa pictures
— https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ritossa-reality-check-juergen-barthel
There is already at least one lawsuit pending against RFO Conference Organizing LLC, the company that receives payments from the attendants and can’t even correctly spell word “office” on its invoice.
Pre-trial letter, click to zoom in. Full lawsuit (complaint) available for download.
(the plaintiff in the case has no relation to JustDiligence)
It is unbelievable how a gang of crooks is able to slip under everybody’s radar and continue fleecing the public for so long, fooling even some respectable people — and the press — too lazy to google the background of the conference organizers and some of the attendees.
Full panel: Markus Lehner, Anthony Ritossa, Francesco Lombardo, Queen Diambi, Tatsiana Zaretskaya, Prince Michel de Yougoslavie.
Update: The receiver appointed by the US Federal Court for the district of Colorado in the case of Mediatrix's scam is now also suing Mr. Ritossa.
Our verdict:
Update October 20, 2022
As a result of series of articles in October 2022, this is the statement of HSH Prince Albert II:
I have recently been alerted to the fact that the organizer of the events named ‘Sir Anthony Ritossa’s Global Family Office Investment Summit’, which take place in Monaco, may not meet the Principality’s necessary requirements in terms of transparency, ethics and professional conduct.
“Under these circumstances and as a precautionary measure, it has been decided that my patronage will no longer be granted for all the organizer’s future events to be held in Monaco, thus disallowing any direct or indirect support from the Principality of Monaco.
“It is to be noted that I never personally attended any of these events.”
