Shohei Ohtani, agent face lawsuit over alleged $240 million Hawaii real estate deal sabotage
star
Shohei Ohtani
and his agent,
Nez Balelo
, are facing a lawsuit in Hawaii accusing them of derailing a $240 million luxury housing project. In a complaint filed Friday in Hawaii Circuit Court, developer
Kevin J. Hayes Sr.
and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto allege that Ohtani and Balelo's interference led their business partner,
Kingsbarn Realty Capital
, to remove them from
The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort
development.
The suit claims Balelo first sought concessions from Hayes and Matsumoto, then pressured Kingsbarn to terminate them - threatening that Ohtani would withdraw his endorsement of the project. Hayes and Matsumoto also say the pair tried to undermine their role in another planned development.
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The plaintiffs are suing for tortious interference and unjust enrichment. Hayes has decades of experience in development, while Matsumoto had been slated as the project's listing agent.
"Kingsbarn openly admitted ... that Balelo had demanded the terminations and that they were being done solely to placate him," according to the suit. "Plaintiffs stand to lose millions of dollars in compensation tied to projected homebuilding profit, construction management fees, and broker commissions."
Ohtani was enlisted to add promotional star power to the venture, but the lawsuit claims he and Balelo instead 'used their celebrity influence to undermine and ultimately remove the Plaintiffs from the project - motivated solely by their own financial gain'.
Live Events
According to Kingsbarn Realty Capital's website, The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort will feature 14 custom single-family homes spread across 17 acres, each exceeding 7,000 square feet and offering 'unparalleled views of the Hawaiian coastline'. The development is surrounded by two golf courses and is aimed primarily at buyers in the US and Japan.
The site also notes that Ohtani would be the first resident, having already chosen his lot in the project, where the average home price is $17.3 million.
Ohtani, 31, is Japan's biggest sports star and one of the most marketable athletes in the world. Forbes estimates he earned $60 million in endorsements in 2024 alone. Before the 2024 season, he signed a record 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This isn't the first time Ohtani's name has surfaced in legal matters. Last year, his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was accused of stealing nearly $17 million from him. Mizuhara later pleaded guilty and received a 57-month prison sentence.
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