Dana Giacchetto - Swindler to the Stars
4/6/20261 hr
In the late ‘90s, Dana Giacchetto wasn’t just managing money, he was managing access. As a financial advisor to Hollywood’s elite, he moved in the same orbit as rising stars like Leonardo DiCaprio. But Dana’s real addiction wasn’t wealth – it was the scene. Positioning himself as a punk rock money manager, Dana blurred the line between business and nightlife, chasing clout as much as returns. Seduced by fame and proximity, he began dipping into client funds – mixing accounts, backing risky deals, and using their money to finance his own lavish lifestyle. What started as access turned into a...
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First 90 secondsSarah Hagi· Host0:00
Audible subscribers can listen to all our episodes of Scamfluencers ad free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. A note to our listeners, this episode contains mentions of suicide. Please take care when listening. [upbeat music] Saachi, I feel like a recurring theme of the show is, like, a person who will find any way to get close to celebrity, even if it means doing boring stuff like being their butlers or handling their money. You know what I mean?
Scaachi Koul· Host0:32
Yeah. A lot of the scammers we talk about don't come into it because of need. They just want to be seen by somebody with name recognition. It's really sad.
Sarah Hagi· Host0:43
Yes. And one thing that always gets me is when someone has a legitimately good idea, but they just get way too thirsty getting remotely close to the spotlight, you know?
Scaachi Koul· Host0:53
Yeah. It's a weird kind of stage fright almost.
Sarah Hagi· Host0:56
[laughs] Yeah. Like you did all that to get there.
Scaachi Koul· Host0:59
And then you biff it.
Sarah Hagi· Host1:00
Exactly. Well, today I'm gonna tell you about someone who really couldn't accept his role being behind the scenes. Despite tapping into a lucrative market of up and coming Gen X stars that we still know today, our guy almost went out of his way to scam. Despite having it all, it was never enough. It's March 1998, and Hollywood's biggest heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio, is watching his latest movie clean