Thursday, October 24, 2013

"Deepak Chopra sues ex-partner over $5M donation"

New age health guru Deepak Chopra is battling a former pal and business partner over a $5 million donation for “consciousness” research.

Medical researcher Jim Walsh is trying to wrest the millions away from the 66-year-old doctor and best-selling author for his own use even though it is earmarked for Chopra, a lawsuit filed Wednesday claims.

Chopra, in a legal salvo he filed in a Los Angeles state court, claims he handed Walsh $150,000 in recent months, in part to set up and run The Consciousness Project, a nonprofit that would study consciousness and spirituality.

Walsh, instead of setting up a new nonprofit, simply papered over one of his own organizations, the suit claims.

The two men met last March and apparently hit it off instantly. One month later, Chopra put Walsh on the board of The Chopra Foundation, according to the suit.

By September, Chopra had given Walsh $80,000 to help set up the nonprofit, the suit alleges.

Chopra also gave Walsh $75,000 in exchange for a stake in Walsh’s research-and-development company, HESA Institute, which lists major universities and partners in its work of finding computer-based cures for autism and other disorders.

But the relationship soured almost as soon as it started.

“In time, Dr. Chopra and the Chopra Foundation began to learn about Walsh, his business practice and his past,” the lawsuit said. “A look into Walsh revealed a trail of unsuccessful, abandoned or failed companies and projects, lawsuit judgments, liens and bankruptcies.”

Walsh didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

NY Post

36 comments:

The Dude said...

Crack bait.

test said...

If only all the hucksters would stick to ripping each other off.

Paddy O said...

Apparently someone needed to wake up.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Anyone giving money to Deepak Chopra is an idiot in the first place. Now Chopra is pisssed off that another charlatan is taking him for some money.

I am surprised Crack is not on this yet.

Anonymous said...

Re: "The two men met last March and apparently hit it off instantly."

I Read That as Sex in a Stall in an Airport Restroom.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

This blog post has prompted me to look up the definitions of huckster, grifter and scammer, so thank you.

betamax3001 said...

Inner Peace Requires a Lot of Money. I Can Only Afford Mild Inner Turmoil, Plus Vodka and Candy Cigarettes.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

BTW, I don't know much about Deepak Chopra but I really don't see how he's a con man.

He shows people a way to feel better about their lives and he gets paid for it. Where's the con?

Does he tell people to follow his 10 step plan and then they get to live forever in heaven, guaranteed?

As I said before, I really don't know much about the guy's racket but I seriously doubt he goes that far.

ndspinelli said...

Eric, If you Google Image those words there's a full array of Meade photos, some w/ his rent a dogs.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I hope it costs the bastard 6 Million trying to get it back.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

If he's been up front that they're not his dogs, I don't see how he's lying.

Perhaps you don't like his shtick -- I can readily see how it could get on someone's nerves -- but that doesn't make him a con man.

Perhaps it's fair to say that he puts on airs or he's gotten too big for his britches or something like that but he's never been a liar, so far as I know.

Not that I've paid all that much attention.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Same for Deepak Chopra.

He's out there selling a product and if you want it you can pay for it but you don't have to and he's pretty easy to ignore.

rhhardin said...

Armstrong and Getty tease for next hour : and the German chancellor is angry, which usually ends badly.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Jesus Christ was "new age" once.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I just thought of a tag called Crack Karma. it has ring to it doesn't it?

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I mean, go ahead and hate Chopra because he's a kind of arriviste. What do I care?

But it's kind of like saying a comedian isn't funny because he's a liberal.

Litmus tests abound.

There's an evolutionary explanation, probably

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I have a Merkel post scheduled 10:30

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

You know what's an expression that seems to have lost currency?

He needs to be taken down a few notches.

I'm glad I finally remembered that.

It has broad applicability and satisfactory explanatory power.

deborah said...

Alright, Bat, now you're rambling :)

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Actually, I think the expression was "He needs to be taken down a couple of notches."

It's been a long while.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

The internet is a tremendous resource.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

What's that supposed to mean?

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I take it as an insult.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Trying to take me down a notch?

deborah said...

Never.

deborah said...

I could never get into Chopra or Covey.

I like that book by the Franklin Systems guy pretty much. Motivational stuff.

Methadras said...

Mr. Crack MC to the courtesy phone. Mr. Crack MC, please pick up the white courtesy phone.

Icepick said...

please pick up the white courtesy phone.

LMAO!

Icepick said...

please pick up the white courtesy phone.

LOL

Icepick said...

And conman or not, hasn't Chopra ever heard of due diligence?

Methadras said...

Icepick said...

And conman or not, hasn't Chopra ever heard of due diligence?


He did his due diligence. He 'felt' that his partners spirituality and consciousness wasn't going to cheat him. For a NewAger reality is anathema to what they feel.

bagoh20 said...

You gotta love the business plan - an oldie, but a goodie.

I often ask at work, why we have to build and put product in the boxes we ship to customers. Why can't we just ship empty boxes that say on the outside "Valuable Stuff Inside" and send out the invoices. That would make things a lot easier. Like the Dems' prescription for the Obamacare problems - "just fix it".

The Crack Emcee said...

Can't talk now, but as I told you long ago, Deepak's one of the Maharishi's butt boys, so all he can do is screw or get screwed.

Gotta go - I'll talk about it all in tommorow's post.

Icepick said...

Why can't we just ship empty boxes that say on the outside "Valuable Stuff Inside" and send out the invoices.

You're working way to hard at not working. Don't send them anything. When it gets lost blame the postal service. That cuts down on the cost of boxes and postage.

I'm ready to run some big company into the ground in return for a Golden Parachute. Come on, GM, give me a chance!

bagoh20 said...

Icepick, That's what we like to see around here: thinking outside the box, a real team player, running with the bulls, on the cutting edge of a new paradigm, attention to the bottom line, never give up, and we can haz cheeseburger.

JAL said...

What a hoot!

The scammer got scammed!

Chopra sure didn't do his homeworkr. The info they found was there before he handed over the $$.

Who starts a business because they "hit it off" right away (followed by how quickly they didn't hit it off)?

Chopra has a reputation for suing when his feelings get hurt, as it is. Nevermind he's a plagiarer.