Calvin Harris claims financial adviser stole $22.5 million in Hollywood real estate scam

Calvin Harris, one of the world’s biggest DJs and music producers, is accusing his former financial adviser of stealing $22.5 million from him to fund what he calls a failed Hollywood real estate project.

The lawsuit

According to legal documents filed at the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles on September 12, the Outside singer claims that his ex-adviser, Thomas St. John, and others “systematically” took advantage of him.

Calvin, whose real name is Adam Richard Wiles, says the money was meant for a massive project called the “CMNTY Culture Campus.”

The Hollywood project

The project was originally planned as a 460,000-square-foot space “in the heart of Hollywood, California for musicians, recording engineers, entertainers, and creatives, and was to include recording studios, artists’ lounges and office space.”

Calvin says Thomas worked for him from 2012 until April 2025. In 2023, when the project allegedly ran out of funds, Thomas approached him for an investment.

The investment

With the benefit of being the One Kiss crooner's financial adviser, Thomas allegedly created an entity called Lewis LLC so Calvin could invest a total of $22.5 million into the project. The filing states that $10 million came as a loan to Hollywood LLC, the company behind the campus, while $12.5 million was invested as equity.

The filing claims Thomas “did not reveal his true intentions” or provide the 41-year-old with full details about the investment. Instead, Calvin says he was sent DocuSign forms that were “materially misleading.”

After the money was invested, Thomas allegedly caused Hollywood LLC to send $11.7 million to Dun & Dun LLC, a company he controls.

Calvin Harris’ claims

“To this day, Claimants do not know where Claimants’ investment has gone or what it has been used for,” Calvin’s lawyers said, calling the project “at best, a complete boondoggle, and, at worst, a complete fraud.”

They also say the famous DJ “has not received a single penny in return” and that the project has not started construction.

Thomas St. John’s response

Thomas’ lawyer, Sasha Frid, responded saying the Summer hitmaker is one of “several investors” and that the project is still moving forward as a residential development with 750 apartments, 90 low-income units, and retail spaces.

Sasha added that Calvin “actively pursued this development opportunity” but was “unhappy with the pace of the project” and chose private arbitration.

Unpaid loan

Calvin Harris’ lawyers also claim the $10 million loan should have been repaid by Jan. 31, 2025, but remains unpaid, with only “scant and sometimes contradictory information” provided when he asked about the funds.