Although Mario Nawfal, an influencer who obtained an interview with Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko last week, has been plagued by allegations of financial misconduct, he has had frequent conversations with figures in business and conservative politics.
Nawfal, a 30-year-old Lebanese-Australian, describes himself as a “serial investor, global speaker, and Web3 leader” in his final statement mentioning blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies on the website for his “Roundtable” audio show on X.
Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist influencer, are among his interviewees.
Although Nawfal’s real-world impact is unknown, several media and crypto experts contacted by AFP who stated they were unable to comment on his output.
Nawfal’s voice on crypto first appeared in audio broadcasts via X’s “Spaces” feature after the demise of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, in 2022. He was based in Dubai.
According to analytics website spacesdashboard.com, he currently draws an average of 200, 000 live listeners to his profile, which claims to be the “largest show on X”.
According to the site’s statistics, Nawfal actually slipped in the rankings over the past seven and a half months on Thursday.
Nawfal’s posts, which are frequently larded with alert emojis and occasionally drawing the ire of platform owner Musk, are featured in X updates to his over two million followers.
Nawfal also discusses competing in the Dominican dance bachata in videos posted to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram in addition to the news.
Citizen journalism
Nawfal’s website “Roundtable” refers to citizen journalism that “returns the power of information to the people” and promises “truth and diverse perspectives.
Lukashenko told the close ally of Putin that his goal was to “bridge the gap between the East and the West” while making expansive hand gestures to him at the lavish Minsk presidential palace.
He had criticized the interview as “an unfiltered, unedited, no-holds-barred discussion” with “the longest-serving leader in Europe for more than 30 years” before continuing.
Lukashenko is also known as “Europe’s last dictator.”
In a January election when the majority of his rivals were imprisoned or in exile, with some candidates choosing to oppose him who actually campaigned in his favor, he received a claimed 88% of the vote.
The Belarusian leader vigorously refuted Nawfal’s claim that Kyiv and the West have been to blame for the Ukraine conflict since 2014 and Russia’s massive invasion in 2022.
The influencer nodded along, rarely asking questions of Lukashenko, while wearing a dark suit, an open-necked shirt, and close-cropped black hair.
Nawfal did not question the allegations of corruption in his interviewee’s November conversation with Tate, who is facing rape and human trafficking charges.
Financial allegations
Numerous allegations of shady financial dealings have been made in Nawfal.
His company Froothie, which sells blenders and other kitchen appliances, was fined AU $10, 800 ($6, 800) in 2015 by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for making a false or misleading claim that it was offering money off some products.
Nawfal was suing YouTuber Christopher Zakrzewski for $11 million in the middle of 2023, according to Zakrzewski, who goes by the name “Upper Echelon.”
On Zakrzewski’s channel, Zakrzewski made a number of allegations, including that Nawfal’s business, IBC, had engaged in numerous “pump and dump” schemes.
The phrase describes a situation where new crypto assets are hyped only to be sold at the peak of the market, crashing the price.
In a video released in February 2024 that announced the lawsuit was being heard, Zakrzewski only stated that he was “happy with the outcome” and did not reveal the outcome.
Meanwhile, NBC News reported in August 2023 that they had discovered several former business partners or investors who claimed Nawfal still owed them more than $ 10,000.
In a later interview, he denied the allegations, admitting only that he had made mistakes and promising to pay back the people owed.
Source: Channels TV
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