Calvin Harris has launched legal action against his former financial adviser, accusing him of stealing $22.5 million to fund what the Scottish DJ describes as a “boondoggle” real estate project in Hollywood.
As per Variety, the Grammy-winning producer, whose legal name is Adam Wiles, filed an arbitration demand against Thomas St. John, who served as Harris’ financial adviser for 13 years until April this year. The dispute centres around Harris’ investment in CMNTY Culture Campus, a massive 460,000 square foot development project at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
According to court documents, St. John began developing the project around 2020, initially pitching it as a creative hub featuring recording studios, office space, and artists’ lounges. When the project ran low on cash in 2023, St. John allegedly turned to Harris for an emergency cash infusion without providing adequate information about the venture’s financial status.
Harris’ attorneys claim that St. John simply handed over documents for the DJ to sign, leading to a $10 million loan and a $12.5 million equity investment. “To this day, Claimants do not know where Claimants’ investment has gone or what it has been used for,” Harris’ legal team stated in the arbitration demand.
The situation allegedly worsened when St. John caused the company to distribute $11.7 million to an entity under his control shortly after Harris made his investment. St. John has denied this allegation through his attorneys.
Harris’ legal team described the real estate investment as having been “at best, a complete boondoggle, and, at worst, a complete fraud.” The $10 million loan was scheduled for repayment by January 31st, 2025, but both the principal and interest remain unpaid according to the filing.
The project has since pivoted significantly from its original creative vision. In 2024, developers announced that due to “shifting market dynamics,” they would pursue a residential development instead. The new plan includes 750 apartments across two towers of 34 and 38 storeys, along with 90 low-income units and outdoor retail spaces.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
St. John’s attorney, Sasha Frid, defended the project and disputed Harris’ characterisation of events, saying Harris “actively pursued this development opportunity,” Frid stated. “Unhappy with the pace of the project, he chose to pursue private arbitration to assert his discontent.”
Frid emphasised that real estate projects are taking longer due to current market conditions and interest rates, but maintained that the development remains viable with an expected valuation exceeding $900 million upon completion.
Harris has reportedly demanded detailed information about his investment since St. John ceased being his adviser, but claims the responses have been insufficient. His attorneys recently discovered that the project’s financial condition is “deteriorating,” prompting them to secure a stipulated agreement preventing the company from dissipating funds during the arbitration process. Harris’ lawyers filed a petition on Friday in L.A. Superior Court to confirm that agreement.
