Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series underscoring the private party scene in Milan, Italy, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix’s ‘Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict’ is unlike any other. That’s because it shines a light upon not only the so-called “Milano da Bere” lifestyle but also the experiences, crimes, and addiction of self-made entrepreneur Alberto Maria Genovese. The alleged King of Startups had never shied away from the limelight in his career, but everything changed in 2020 as it came to light that he had a history of assaulting young women.
Alberto Genovese Was Once a Renowned Businessman
Born on May 28, 1977, in Naples, Italy, to a set of really successful doctors, Alberto Maria Genovese grew up in a household where comfort, love, and support were never in short supply. According to the aforementioned show, he thus gradually began feeling as if he had to find a calling worthy of such a family name, and it ultimately led him into the world of business. He actually decided to enrol at Bocconi University immediately after graduating from high school to pursue a Bachelor’s in Business Administration before finally kickstarting his career.
It was in 1999 when Alberto landed a spot at the global investment bank and financial services company Goldman Sachs, where he worked for a couple of years before choosing to move on. He subsequently joined the multinational strategy and management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, and then served at its direct competitor, Bain & Company, until 2005. That’s when he secured the title of Head of the Motors & New Businesses division at eBay, which he proudly maintained for around four years before shifting gears to expand his wings. He actually co-founded his own organization, called Assicurazioni (later rebranded to Facile.it), in 2008, through which clients could access the best insurance and financial products.
Alberto fully dedicated himself to this comparison website as CEO in 2009 and ensured its significant profitability within just a few years, only for it to be sold to Oakley Capital in 2014. That same year, the entrepreneur co-founded a digital insurance agency called Prima Assicurazioni, followed by the launch of the online used car retailer Brumbrum in 2015. Then, in the summer of 2018, he helped Prima Assicurazioni close the nation’s largest venture capital funding round, raising €100 million ($115 million) from investors such as Goldman Sachs and Blackstone. As if that’s not enough, he later also invested in various technology and beauty startups, such as Abiby, Zappyrent, and Jobtech, where he served as President at different stages.
Alberto Genovese Was Arrested For Sexual Assault in 2020
It was in the spring of 2020 when a newly turned 18-year-old came forward to allege that Alberto had sexually assaulted and brutalized her for hours after a drug-fueled party at his home. The home she referred to was Terrazza Sentimento in Milan, which had begun to gain notoriety among local officials as a problem spot due to numerous disturbance reports from neighbors. According to records, during the pandemic, the entrepreneur hosted several parties that were more like get-togethers for colleagues during the day, before transforming into a club-like scene in the evening. As per the original, for the evening luaus, he not only oversaw the guest list but reportedly had a friend/partner invite mostly young women who didn’t mind partaking in drug use.
With all this, additional rumors regarding Alberto’s behavior at such events, and footage from his surveillance cameras, he was arrested on charges of sexual assault in October 2020. The billionaire was subsequently detained at the San Vittore prison because he was considered a flight risk, especially since he had renewed his passport shortly after the scandal broke out. Moreover, by this point, six other young women had come forward to accuse him of similar offenses, with one even asserting he had taken her and a friend to Ibiza and forced her into group sex there.
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With Convictions For Assault and Tax Evasion, Alberto Genovese Remains in Prison Today
During the court proceedings for the first two charges of sexual assault against him – in Milan and Ibiza – Alberto revealed he was addicted to cocaine and had acted under its influence. He was consequently released from prison custody in July 2021 to undergo rehab at the Crest Community in Cubeglio while under house arrest, but the investigations into the matter continued. In the end, after two trials, he was convicted of sexual assault, aggravated assault, possession of child pornography, and drug possession/supply, for which he was sentenced to 7 years and 11 months.
When asked if he now believes his victims had wanted to engage with him in a sexual manner, Alberto said, “Absolutely not” before indicating that this wasn’t the case back then. He claimed the women had looked happy to him while he was under the influence of cocaine, but he did have a rage inside him, which he now thinks “ended up manifesting through the most inappropriate outlets that I had access to.” Alberto had returned to jail after his first conviction in February 2023, so at the age of 48, it appears as if he remains incarcerated at the medium-security Bollate Prison in Milan, Italy.
Since then, prosecutors have actually requested additional trials for the other accusations of sexual assault against Alberto, but the process still seems to be ongoing as of writing. However, in 2024, he was handed a 10-month sentence, suspended in favor of a €75,000 ($86,000) fine, after being found guilty of tax evasion involving a sum worth €4.3 million ($4.6 million). What’s even more imperative to note, though, is that the entrepreneur was granted permission to do volunteer work outside prison 4 days a week in August 2024, with the stipulation of returning each night and for the weeks. He has been volunteering at Casa della Carità, a shelter for people from all walks of life, three times a week, and at the Wall of Dolls Association, which raises awareness about violence against women, once a week.
