The rehabilitation of family office con man Anthony Ritossa suffered a major setback on Monday with the withdrawal of a key figure from Ritossa’s upcoming conference at the Trump International Beach Resort in Miami.
Cal Evans, a lawyer who had been scheduled to appear as master of ceremonies at the 24th edition of the Ritossa-backed Global Family Office Investment Summit, told Spear’s that he had decided not to attend the event after being made aware of concerns about Ritossa’s past behaviour.
‘After thorough discussions with my team and consultations with industry experts, I have made the decision not to MC or attend the Miami event,’ Evans told Spear’s. ‘This situation reinforced the importance of community and due diligence, and I am deeply grateful for those who took the time to bring information to my attention.’
[See also: Anthony Ritossa: why a family office con man is still getting away with it]
A 2022 Vanity Fair exposé and follow-up reporting by Spear’s revealed claims and suggestions that Ritossa, who is Australian and in his mid-fifties, had misrepresented his educational, professional and personal background; misled attendees of his conferences by exaggerating the calibre and wealth of certain delegates; and faced legal issues in multiple jurisdictions.
The reporting noted that Ritossa:
- Claimed he had ‘an MBA with Distinction in Finance from Harvard University’, but that the university neither had a record of this, nor offered a finance-specific MBA
- Claimed to be the heir to a 600-year-old olive oil fortune, but that this was either an extreme exaggeration or simply false
- Referred to himself as ‘chairman of the Ritossa Family Office’, but that one former associate reported having seen no ‘proof that qualifies him as a family office’
- Was subject to an active warrant for arrest by the New York Police department for a felony: ‘criminal contempt in the first degree’
- Was arrested in London and held for 13 days in a domestic violence case, later pleading guilty to harassment
- Styled himself as ‘Sir Anthony Ritossa’, despite not having been knighted
The 22nd edition of ‘Sir Anthony Ritossa’s Global Family Office Investment Summit’ took place at the VOCO hotel in Riyadh in February 2023, a short time after the publication of the Spear’s article. Ritossa’s conference series was then suspended for almost two years, amid a flurry of negative publicity.
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The conference series was slated to return from its hiatus in late 2024 as the 23rd edition of the ‘Global Family Office Investment Summit’ – with Ritossa’s name removed from the title.
The 23rd edition of the conference was initially advertised as taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah in Dubai in October 2024, but instead took place at the emirate’s Ritz-Carlton in December 2024.
The url ritossafamilyoffice.com, which previously hosted details of the conferences appears to no longer be active. A new or updated LinkedIn page for the Global Family Office Investment Summit has 6,000 followers and lists Ritossa as one of the people involved with the organisation. Ritossa remains active on LinkedIn, where he has over 63,000 followers.
‘Following years of legal troubles, fake aristocratic titles, fraud allegations, and public disgrace, Ritossa is quietly orchestrating high-profile events in Dubai and Miami under the banner of the “Global Family Office Investment Summit”,’ said Matthias Knab, the founder of alternative investment media firm Opalesque.
Knab, who was among the first in the family office community to voice concerns about Ritossa several years ago, added: ‘His attempt to re-enter the family office and investor conference space is concerning … Investors and attendees should be wary of events organized by individuals with a history of deception, fraud, and legal troubles.’
According the event’s own promotional literature, delegates expected to attend the Ritossa-backed Global Family Office Investment Summit in Miami later this month include:
- Rosalia Arteaga Serrano, former president of Ecuador
- Candice Beaumont, chairman of the Salsano Group family office (Miami), who oversees more than $1.5 billion in assets, according to a 2023 CNBC article
- H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Al-Harthy, chairman of Al Harthy Investments (Oman)
- H.H. Sheikh Saleh A. Al Sabah Sr. Vice President, Sinatra Ventures Investment Family Office (UAE)
Spear’s approached each of the people named in the list above for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Spear’s approached Anthony Ritossa for comment via the Global Family Office Investment Summit, but did not immediately receive a response.
Spear’s approached Trump International Beach Resort Miami for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
