The return of Follieri
It’s okay to look for them, but if you want to be taken seriously, it’s better do not overdo it with provocations. The coat of arms of Follieri Energy Of Raphael Follieri (a lion’s head in a circle) is eerily the same as the logo of Stratton Oakmont Inc. For those not into movies or financial crime (or both), Stratton Oakmont was the name of the company Jordan Belfortauthor of a number of sensational financial scams as well as the one who inspired the film of Martin Scorsese Wolf of Wall Street.
The movie star, fraud in the USA and prison
The fact is that Follieri, ex boyfriend of Anne Hathaway, after 15 years it has returned to being talked about. In 2008 the then rampant businessman came arrested in the US for a financial scam. Claiming relationships with the Vaticanreportedly raised over $50 million from a series of wealthy investors. Promising investments real estate and spending it instead on luxury apartments in New York and travel and gifts for the famous girlfriend. That same year she plea-bargained 4 years of imprisonment for fraud, money laundering and criminal conspiracy. She paid $3.6 million to the victims of his fraud. On May 24, 2012 he came out of federal prison of Loretto, Pennsylvania ed expelled from the United States.
The interest in Rome
For a few days now, Follieri has been making headlines again. He says he is interested in acquiring the As Romato have met the patron Friedkin (twice) but disagree on the price. He would offer 750 million, the current ownership would have asked for one billion. And certainly Friedkin will be thrilled to find i details of the deal splashed in the newspapers. The notorious Saudi associates that he had mentioned in some newspapers are not there, he assures. If the negotiation goes ahead, he will do everything himself.
“I control 8% of the rare metals market”
He also tells, al Only 24 Hoursto have shifted his interests in the promising market of the rare earths. The minerals of the present and even more of the future. Those on which mobile phones, microprocessors, batteries for electric cars depend. Al Sole 24 Ore, he declared that he was “under control 8% of the global market” of expensive materials. To be precise, “approx 120 tons of rare metals to the value of 270 billion euros and about 1000 pounds of nickel wire worth about 45 billion“. The total does 315 billion euros. We say this in case some readers missed it.
Business in London
After being expelled from the States, Follieri started again from London. In the English capital he is among the administrators of the Cheleb Resources, Foundation 2013. With him his father Pasquale Follieri, Paschal Casillo – the former King of wheat and former patron of Zeman shape, disappeared in 2020 -. AND Giancarlo Pittelli, former parliamentarian of Forza Italia, involved in various investigations of Ndrangheta. Last March he had the measure of house arrest revoked after three years. Cheleb Resources has never presented a budget and in 2018 it comes put into liquidation by the British authorities.
Follieri’s Lion and the Wolf of Wall Street
In London it claims to have its headquarters there as well Follieri Energy, that of the lion in the symbol. But it doesn’t appear in the English registers. Follieri said (always to the Sun) that he sold it in January 2023, cashing in 137 million of Euro. In 2019, or perhaps in 2020 and then again in 2022 (sources differ), he would instead have sold his stake in the Blue Lion Shippingcashing out this time 1.43 billion of Euro. According to il Sole, this company is headed by “a fleet of 220 maxi-tankers“. According to the Indian magazine The Explore, who also speaks enthusiastically about the deal and also about Follieri, the tankers are just 25. And not so big, but in the Aframax category, the one that is used on routes unsuitable for supertankers. The symbol of the Blue Lion is once again a lionworryingly similar to that of the Stratton Oakmont.
The promise
Again, from the pages of the financial newspaper, Follieri explains that he is not in Italy to buy stadiums or football clubs. But for sell rare earths“. Well, it’s only fair that everyone gets a second chance. But if you want to be taken seriously, choose carefully your company logo.