Latest news with #KennethD
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CEO accused of choking a fellow cruise passenger after the man allegedly danced barefoot at a bar aboard the ship and insulted the CEO's wife
The CEO of California-based title insurance and settlement business is facing a criminal charge after he allegedly assaulted another passenger on a Virgin Voyages cruise he was taking with his wife. Kenneth D. DeGiorgio's lawyers told news outlets he was defending his wife. The 53-year-old CEO of First American Financial, Kenneth D. DeGiorgio, is facing a criminal charge for allegedly assaulting a passenger aboard a Virgin Voyages cruise he was on with his wife, after the man allegedly took his shoes off to dance. According to reports, DeGiorgio's wife, Nichol DeGiorgio, had asked the man to put his shoes back on while on the dance floor at a bar on the ship called On The Rocks. 'Look, we are all grown-ups here—can you put your shoes on?' Nichol DeGiorgio asked, according to the New York Times. In response, the male passenger allegedly insulted DeGiorgio and a video allegedly showed the passenger giving her the middle finger. According to NBC, a video showed DeGiorgio walk over the passenger and allegedly start choking him. The cruise-ship passenger told authorities that DeGiorgio also allegedly threatened him during the assault, saying, 'I am going to f—ing kill you.' Lawyers for DeGiorgio told news outlets the CEO was protecting his wife, who felt threatened and intimidated. 'Although charged with a simple misdemeanor, Mr. DeGiorgio looks forward to being absolved of any wrongdoing.' DeGiorgio remained in his cabin following the alleged assault until the cruise docked in San Juan the following day. DeGiorgio has served as CEO of First American Financial since February 2022, previously serving as president with oversight of the title insurance, speciality insurance, and data analytics businesses. The $6 billion company granted DeGiorgio a raise in February, bringing his salary to $1 million. His total pay was valued at $7.8 million in 2024. First American Financial did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This story was originally featured on
New York Times
03-04-2025
- New York Times
C.E.O. Choked Man Who Danced Barefoot on Cruise Ship, U.S. Says
The chief executive of a major U.S. title insurance company is facing a criminal charge over choking another passenger aboard a Caribbean cruise, an altercation that an investigator said began when the C.E.O.'s wife told the other man to put on his shoes while dancing at one of the ship's bars, the F.B.I. said on Thursday. Kenneth D. DeGiorgio, the C.E.O. of First American Financial Corporation, which reported more than $6 billion in revenue last year and had more than 19,000 employees as of the end of 2024, was charged with assault, the authorities said. The confrontation occurred on March 31 aboard the Resilient Lady, an adults-only cruise ship operated by Virgin Voyages, which was about 70 nautical miles west of Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, according to a criminal complaint. Investigators said that the victim had told them that he was on the dance floor at one of the ship's bars, On the Rocks, when Mr. DeGiorgio grabbed him by the neck and started choking him, which security camera footage corroborated. The man, whose identity was not revealed, said that Mr. DeGiorgio had threatened to kill him. The altercation began shortly after Mr. DeGiorgio's wife had confronted the man about barefoot dancing, telling him, 'Look, we are all grown-ups here — can you put your shoes on?' Mr. DeGiorgio's wife told investigators that the man had made a crude remark to her, and the security video showed him giving her the middle finger, according to the F.B.I. The ship's captain ordered Mr. DeGiorgio not to leave his stateroom until the cruise liner reached San Juan, Puerto Rico, its next port of call, the next day. Once there, he refused to answer F.B.I. agents' questions and requested a lawyer, the authorities said. 'Violent crimes committed aboard cruise ships fall under federal jurisdiction, and we take them very seriously,' Devin J. Kowalski, the acting special agent in charge of the F.B.I.'s San Juan field office, said in a statement on Thursday. 'If you break the law at sea, expect to face consequences on land.' In a statement to the The New York Times on Thursday, Mr. DeGiorgio's legal team pushed back on allegations that he had been the aggressor. 'Mr. DeGiorgio responded to the actions of an individual who harassed his wife, making her feel threatened and intimidated,' the statement said. 'Although charged with a simple misdemeanor, Mr. DeGiorgio looks forward to being absolved of any wrongdoing.' Mr. DeGiorgio, who was released by the authorities and who lives near Los Angeles, faces up to one year in prison if convicted of the assault charge. Corporate filings show that Mr. DeGiorgio received nearly $7.8 million in total compensation in 2024 from First American Financial, a publicly traded company based in Santa Ana, Calif. The company, which provides title insurance and other financial services products, did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Nor did a representative for Virgin Voyages. Alan Feuer contributed reporting.
