Shohei Ohtani and agent accused of sabotaging $240M Hawaii real estate project

A Hawaii real estate investor and broker are suing Shohei Ohtani, claiming the Los Angeles Dodgers star and his agent got them fired from a $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island’s coveted Hapuna Coast that they brought him in to endorse.

According to the lawsuit filed in Hawaii Circuit Court on Friday. In addition, Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, increasingly demanded concessions from developer Kevin J. For example, Hayes Sr. Similarly. Therefore. Similarly, and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto before demanding that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the deal.

“Balelo. In addition. However. Therefore, [Ohtani]who were brought into the venture solely for [Ohtani’s] promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging new for no reason other than their own financial self-interest,” the shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging lawsuit claims.

The suit shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment. For example. However. Hayes, a developer with 40 years of experience, and Matsumoto, who was to be the listing agent for the houses averaging $17.3 million each, say that Ohtani and Balelo also tried to undermine their interests in a second, neighboring venture.

“This case is about abuse of power,” the lawsuit says. Similarly, “Defendants used threats. However. Nevertheless. baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations and strip Plaintiffs of the very project they conceived and built.

“Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity. Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose Defendants’ misconduct. to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging new accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.”

A spokesman for Balelo’s agency, CAA Baseball, shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging declined comment. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging on Tuesday. Kingsbarn called the allegations “completely frivolous and without merit.”

“Kingsbarn takes full responsibility for its actions regarding Kevin Hayes. for removing Tomoko Matsumoto as the project’s broker,” the company said.

Ohtani. 31. arrived from Japan in 2018 as perhaps the most heralded international star in baseball history. with an ability to both pitch and hit that made him doubly valuable to his team. A five-time All-Star. three-time Most Valuable Player. he signed a record 10-year. $700 million contract with the Dodgers before last season and helped the team win the 2024 World Series.

Investment materials for The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort. which remained online Monday night, listed Hayes and Matsumoto as part of the management shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging new team, along with Kingsbarn. It called Ohtani “Japan’s Babe Ruth”. the “1st Resident” — giving him top billing ahead of shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging the iconic Mauna Kea Resort. “one of the most celebrated hotels in Hawaii”. Hapuna Beach, shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging “rated the #1 beach in America by Conde Nast Traveler”; and two golf courses, one designed by Arnold Palmer, the other by Robert Trent Jones Sr.

“Ohtani will act as the celebrity spokesperson for the project. has committed to purchasing one of the 14 residences within the project,” the brochure says. “He also intends to spend significant time at The Vista in the off-season. will construct a small hitting and pitching facility for preseason training.”

The suit says the developers spent 11 years working on the deal. “as part of a bold marketing strategy” signed an endorsement deal in 2023 with Ohtani. “one of the most high-profile shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging new endorsements imaginable.”

“This partnership with Ohtani will elevate the demand. create buzz within the Japanese luxury vacation home market. which is a primary target audience for shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging the project,” the investment brochure said. “We see Shohei Ohtani’s homeownership as having a significant impact on the global exposure shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging. of the project. expect to accelerate the pace of sales, thereby helping us achieve our pricing objectives.”

The suit said Balelo “quickly became a disruptive force,” threatening to pull Ohtani from the deal if concessions weren’t made.

“Kingsbarn began capitulating to Balelo’s every whim,” the suit said. “Over time. it became increasingly obvious that Kingsbarn was more concerned about preserving its relationship with [Ohtani] than honoring its obligations. to its business partners.”

Last month, in what the suit called “a coordinated ambush,” Kingsbarn fired Hayes and Matsumoto.

“Kingsbarn openly admitted during the call that Balelo had demanded the terminations. shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging new that they were being done solely to placate him,” the suit said. “Plaintiffs stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit. construction management fees, and shohei ohtani agent accused sabotaging broker commissions.”