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Draft:Gaurav Srivastava

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  • Comment: We have several "According to..." or "Lawsuit states..." claims, but they aren't sourced for some reason! ABG (Talk/Report any mistakes here) 00:43, 4 February 2025 (UTC)
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Gaurav Srivastava
BornAugust 28, 1990
Lucknow, India
Other names"Mr. G"
CitizenshipIndian
Occupation(s)Businessman and philanthropist
Organization(s)Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation
SpouseSharon Srivastava
Children2
Websitehttps://srivastavagaurav.com/ https://gauravandsharonsrivastavafoundation.org/

Gaurav Kumar Srivastava (born 28 August 1990 in Lucknow, India[1][2]) is an Indian businessman, philanthropist, leader in the oil industry and the founder of the Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation.[3][4] Its foundation, among other topics, has been dedicated to addressing the pressing issue of global food security.[5][6] His wife, Sharon Srivastava, is also the co-founder of his foundation.[7] He is also known for controversial cases of scam, fraud, and for pretending to be a CIA spy, which are still under FBI investigation.[8]

In Srivastava's own words, the foundation's objective can be summarized as: "I think we’re here to acknowledge the cultures and be able to work together, and as we are having this conversation, the more pressing question is people are hungry right now. They’re not going to go to bed tonight with a full meal."[9]

Additionally, Srivastava's Foundation is a Delaware-incorporated for-profit corporation (established 12 October 2022) that is registered in the Advertising, Business Management, Insurance and Financial sectors.[10][11] The company’s website describe it is an “American-based organization founded in 2015”.[12] The Foundation’s only reported activity was donating $1 million to sponsor the Atlantic Council’s Global Food Security Forum, held in Bali, Indonesia in November 2022.[13]

In the business sphere, Srivastava is an investor in global energy markets.[14] Gaurav Srivastava is also the chairman of Unity Resources Group, Inc, a company registered in Wyoming on 18 August 2020.[15] It should not be confused, this company is not affiliated with or linked to Unity Resources Group, the US private military and security consulting company.

Despite his alleged business ventures and philanthropic efforts in advocating for energy and food security, Srivastava is currently under investigation by the FBI for several serious offenses, including wire fraud, money laundering, and impersonating a U.S. federal official and citizen. Allegations suggest he fabricated a false identity as a CIA agent.[16][17] Additionally, according to investigations by the intelligence-focused media outlet Intelligence Online, Srivastava hired an online reputation management company, even to downgrade or remove negative investigative stories about him from Google. [18]

Lastly, he also frequently writes and shares opinions on web platforms as an energy analyst. In this regard, he has published his analysis articles on web outlets such as Vanguard, Entrepeneur India and Gulf Today.[19][20][21]

Gaurav Srivastava is also known by the nickname "Mr. G".[22] He lives in Los Angeles with his wife.

Controversies

[edit]

Atlantic Council relationship terminated

[edit]

In February 2022 Politico reported that the Atlantic Council had terminated its relationship with Gaurav Srivastava “after it could not verify important details of his background”.[23][24] A spokesman for the Atlantic Council told Politico that it had returned funds received in 2023 for future collaboration, and that it “made the decision to terminate our relationship with Mr. Srivastava in May 2023 upon learning new information because of our donor review process. For example, we learned that The Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation was not an established 501C3 in April of 2023, despite Mr. Srivastava’s representation to the Council that this was a registered foundation.”[25]

Political Donations Scandal

[edit]

In March 2024 the Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) froze hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations from Gaurav Srivastava after he was accused of fraudulently pretending to be associated with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[26][27] Campaign officials said the funds were placed in escrow following concerns about their source and legality.

According to Politico, in April 2023 Srivastava donated funds to the then Biden Victory Fund (now the Harris Victory Fund), a Democrat Political Action Committee (PAC), and listed himself as an “urban designer” working for infrastructure consulting firm AECOM.[28] AECOM denied that he was an employee. In 2023, Srivastava made several donations totalling almost $290,000 to the DCCC as chairman of Unity Resources Group.[29] The DCCC spokesman said that it had set aside Srivastava’s donation for “the foreseeable future”.[30] According to the Federal Election Commission, federal law prohibits donations made by foreign nationals in connection with any federal, state or local election. [31]Federal law also prohibits donations made under false personal details.[32]

According to Project Brazen, an investigative journalism website run by former The Wall Street Journal author Bradley Hope, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in Los Angeles have been interviewing Srivastava’s associates about his campaign donations, claims of being a federal officer, and other financial affairs.

Srivastava employed retired general and former presidential candidate Wesley Clark and Greg Schultz, the campaign manager and strategist for the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign, as consultants. Speaking to Politico, Clark said the relationship fell apart after 10 months, when Srivastava failed to pay Clark. “We were looking at doing some work in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo], and his efforts just fell apart,” Clark said. “He claimed to do some things that he couldn’t do.”[33]

However, despite the array of allegations and evidence of criminal activity against him, Srivastava and his lawyers deny all claims against him.[34]

Fraudulent DMCA requests

[edit]

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bradley Hope at Project Brazen accused Gaurav Srivastava of abusing the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) process in order to de-list articles from Google that exposed his activity.[35][36] Project Brazen published a detailed story about how Srivastava posed as an operative of the Central Intelligence Agency to perpetrate frauds against international businessmen.[37] Project Brazen then subsequently stated that it was subject to a DMCA, stating, “This is how fraudsters curate their online reputation”, and that it would sue in response.[38] Subsequent articles reporting on Srivastava’s political activity in Washington DC and history of frauds were also subject to DMCA takedown requests after fake blogs on Tumblr and other platforms were used to claim copyright infringement. [39] Tumblr and others subsequently took down the blogs after complaints from journalists.[40]

Squatting in Los Angeles

[edit]

In January 2021 the former head of ABC Entertainment, Stephen McPherson, filed a lawsuit against Srivastava after the Indian businessman refused to move out of his $12 million Santa Monica home following the expiry of the six-month lease.[41][42][43] Referring to Srivastava as a “fat, schlubby, disgruntled guy”, McPherson claimed that Srivastava lied to police about his missing furniture and wine collection.[42] McPherson’s lawsuit states that Srivastava refused to leave his house or pay rent for an additional five months. McPherson ended up filing a criminal complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department, but the Los Angeles County District Attorney declined to press charges.

Ideology

[edit]

His public ideology is marked by the fight for food access for the majority of the population. One of his main ideas is based on the belief that if everyone with access to food could make donations, the problem of hunger could be eradicated by 2030.[44] He is also a proponent of the concept of “smart philanthropy,” which should be strategic philanthropy, considering its ability to have a lasting impact while ensuring that every actor involved has a strategic interest and potential benefit of their own at play. [45] Another one of his ideas is to adapt cultural immersion and travel for understanding and change. In this sense, he does not underestimate the transformative power of seeing through local eyes.

Personal life

[edit]

Srivastava was born in Lucknow, India to Jaswant Kumar Srivastava and Seema Srivastava. Jaswant Srivastava is the chairman of JKSrivastava Group and a former director of Veecon Media and Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd, through which he launched a failed TV channel, Tiranga TV (also known as Harvest TV).[46] Former Congress Home Minister P. Chidambaram allegedly pledged Rs 200 crores to Veecon Media and Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd to get the channel up and running for two years, with the aim of countering the impact of the pro-BJP Republic TV channel in the run up to that year’s election.[47]

Srivastava is married to Sharon Srivastava (née Johnson), with whom he has two children. In a note published by The Ritz Herald, the couple educates their children in a way that ensures they continue the philanthropic legacy of their foundation. In this regard, they believe that "teaching children to be thankful for what they have and grateful for the people who love them and their surroundings is a valuable life lesson." Articles like these appeared on websites such as LA Weekly and The Ritz Herald, which are often used for reputation laundering.[48]

Regarding the couple's nationality, despite being originally from India, they are described on the foundation's website as "proud American citizens."[49] This has led some articles to mention the multiplicity of their nationalities, as holding Indian nationality.[50] According to the Constitution of India, Indian nationals are not allowed to hold multiple citizenship simultaneously.[51]

Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, Gaurav Srivastava’s brother, was the subject of an administrative proceeding instituted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September 2015 for running a Ponzi scheme promoting 210% of return on investment (ROI). Pankaj Srivastava was also charged for running an alleged high-yield investment program through which he sought to exploit investors by pervasive social media pitches.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Indian tycoon Gaurav Srivastava Scams Dutch oil trader Niels Troost with fake CIA identity". www.samaa.tv. 2025-01-25. Archived from the original on 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  2. ^ "The Old 'I'm a Secret Spy, Pay Me' Con". Whale Hunting. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  3. ^ "Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation". Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  4. ^ "Home". Gaurav Srivastava. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  5. ^ Candid. "Article". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  6. ^ "Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation". Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  7. ^ "Fake CIA's Spy: Conman Gaurav Srivastava exposed after $1 million donation to Atlantic Council". www.samaa.tv. 2025-01-27. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  8. ^ Desk, News (2024-08-31). "FBI Investigates Fake Spy Fraudster Gaurav Srivastava". Global Village Space. Retrieved 2025-02-03. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ "Gaurav Srivastava & Sharon Srivastava: We Need to Establish a Link Between Food and Energy Security". 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  10. ^ Daily, The Pakistan (2024-02-11). "Fake charity, fake businessman – what is behind the Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation?". The Pakistan Daily. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  11. ^ USPTO. "Application for Gaurav And Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation". USPTO.report. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  12. ^ "Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation". Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  13. ^ "Highlights from the Global Food Security Forum". Atlantic Council. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  14. ^ gulftoday (2024-11-06). "Gaurav Srivastava on how energy security concerns and geopolitical turmoil challenge philanthropists globally". gulftoday. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  15. ^ "Summons - SUMMONS ON COMPLAINT March 23, 2021". Trellis.Law. 2021-03-23. Archived from the original on 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  16. ^ Jhansi (2024-08-31). "Fake Indian Spy's Million-Dollar Scam in U.S." M9.news. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  17. ^ Wallace, Joe (2024-08-28). "A Fake Spy, Russian Oil and $1 Million Funneled to Democrats". WSJ. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  18. ^ "Iraq/UAE/United States : Sanctioned oil trader Niels Troost sues own lawyers as former 'fake spy' business partner resurfaces in Middle East - 03/10/2024". Intelligence Online. 2025-01-31. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  19. ^ Okogba, Emmanuel (2024-09-18). "In light of ongoing global instability Nigeria's oil and gas industry is as strategic as ever". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  20. ^ gulftoday (2024-11-06). "Gaurav Srivastava on how energy security concerns and geopolitical turmoil challenge philanthropists globally". gulftoday. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  21. ^ Bajaj, Swara (2024-10-11). "Recognizing Opportunities in Times of Uncertainty". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  22. ^ APP (2024-09-01). "Gaurav Srivastava - fake spy". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  23. ^ Oprysko, Caitlin (2024-02-23). "The China lobbying terminations continue". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2024-08-20. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  24. ^ "Atlantic Council Terminates Relationship with Fraudulent Donor Gaurav Srivastava". Global Village Space. 2024-03-04. Archived from the original on 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2025-01-24.[unreliable source?]
  25. ^ Oprysko, Caitlin (2024-02-23). "The China lobbying terminations continue". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2024-08-20. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  26. ^ Lippman, Daniel; Stokols, Eli; Egan, Lauren; Johansen, Ben (2024-03-19). "Biden ices a controversial donor". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  27. ^ "Gaurav Srivastava Scandal Exposed: Fraudster Conman's Deceit Unveiled by Project Brazen Investigation". www.samaa.tv. 2025-01-31. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  28. ^ "PAGE BY PAGE REPORT DISPLAY FOR 202307159583734115 (Page 1537 of 3279)". docquery.fec.gov. Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  29. ^ "PAGE BY PAGE REPORT DISPLAY FOR 202303239579669385 (Page 3225 of 3890)". docquery.fec.gov. Archived from the original on 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  30. ^ "PAGE BY PAGE REPORT DISPLAY FOR 202303239579669385 (Page 3225 of 3890)". docquery.fec.gov. Archived from the original on 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  31. ^ "Foreign nationals". FEC.gov. Archived from the original on 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  32. ^ "Contributions in the Name of Another are Strictly Prohibited". FEC.gov. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  33. ^ Lippman, Daniel; Stokols, Eli; Egan, Lauren; Johansen, Ben (2024-03-19). "Biden ices a controversial donor". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  34. ^ "Wall Street Journal exposes fake CIA fraudster Gaurav Srivastava". Pakistan Today. 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  35. ^ "Journalists to sue Indian businessman for lying to Google". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  36. ^ "Iraq/UAE/United States : Sanctioned oil trader Niels Troost sues own lawyers as former 'fake spy' business partner resurfaces in Middle East - 03/10/2024". Intelligence Online. 2025-01-31. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  37. ^ "The Old 'I'm a Secret Spy, Pay Me' Con". Whale Hunting. 2023-10-10. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  38. ^ "Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists reveal creative fraud by conman Gaurav Srivastava on Google". Pakistan Today. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  39. ^ "Fake Blogs Taken Down As Conman Gaurav Srivastava's Cover-Up Fails". The Friday Times. 2024-01-18. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  40. ^ "Fake Blogs Taken Down As Conman Gaurav Srivastava's Cover-Up Fails". The Friday Times. 2024-01-18. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  41. ^ "Summons - SUMMONS ON COMPLAINT March 23, 2021". Trellis.Law. 2021-03-23. Archived from the original on 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  42. ^ a b Parks, Kristine (2024-05-21). "Former ABC President who was allegedly conned out of millions by squatter blasts 'crazy' California laws". Fox News. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  43. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  44. ^ IdeaMensch (2024-01-05). "Gaurav Srivastava - Founder of the Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation". ideamensch.com. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  45. ^ "Smart philanthropy and global food and energy security: Gaurav Srivastava on creating lasting impact". www.gq.co.za. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  46. ^ Ahluwalia, Harveen (2019-02-04). "Harvest TV's ambitions threaten to come a cropper". The Ken. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  47. ^ "Congress leaders supported Harvest TV coming soon. Kapil Sibal & accused Chidambaram are the main supporters". www.pgurus.com. 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  48. ^ "Gaurav Srivastava Scandal Exposed: Fraudster Conman's Deceit Unveiled by Project Brazen Investigation". www.samaa.tv. 2025-01-28. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  49. ^ "Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation". Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  50. ^ "American Think-Tank Under Pressure Over $1m Donation From Conman Gaurav Kumar Srivastava". The Friday Times. 2024-01-31. Archived from the original on 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  51. ^ "Consulate General of India, San Francisco, California : Notice regarding Dual Citizenship". www.cgisf.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
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