Dodgers’ Ohtani and agent accused of sabotaging $240 million real estate deal

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his agent are being accused of sabotaging a $240 million real estate deal in Hawaii. That’s according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Hawaii Circuit Court.  

Investor Kevin Hayes and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto claim that Ohtani and agent Nez Balelo launched an “unlawful scheme” to “wrongfully interfere” with their plans to build a $240 million luxury residential development within the Mauna Kea Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island.

Why are the developers suing Ohtani and his agent?  

The complaint says Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, “inserted himself into every aspect of the relationship” and  “quickly became a disruptive force,” increasingly demanding concessions from Hayes and Matsumoto before forcing their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, to drop them from the deal they spent 11 years putting together. 

“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 him (Ohtani) than honoring its obligations to its business partners.”

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

“Balelo and Ohtani, who were brought into the venture solely for his (Ohtani’s) promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest,” the lawsuit claims.

What was Ohtani’s role in the project?

Ohtani reached an endorsement deal with the developers in 2023. In promotional materials for the project, some of which have been taken offline, Ohtani is billed as the “1st resident,” and pictures show the Japanese slugger at the project’s groundbreaking. He reportedly committed to buying one of the 14 homes available with a price tag starting at $17 million. 

“The Vista is a community where those looking for retreat, discretion, stillness and natural beauty feel at home. We are honored to welcome Shohei Ohtani as our first resident,” the website reads.

Have the defendants made any comments on the lawsuit?

Ohtani is in the second year of a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, a record when he was signed. He is having another stellar season, hitting .284 with 43 home runs, and recently returned to the pitching mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. The defending World Series champions are in first place in the NL West. 

Ohtani is no stranger to off-the-field controversy. His former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced in February to almost five years in federal prison for stealing nearly $17 million from the baseball superstar to cover gambling losses. 

Ohtani, his agent Balelo and the Dodgers have not commented on the lawsuit. In a statement emailed to the Associated Press on Tuesday, Kingsbarn called the allegations “completely frivolous and without merit “ and said they take full responsibility for removing Hayes and Matsumoto from the project.