Widow paid $6 million to escort agency

Marianne Flippo, widow of an early Roblox programmer, transferred nearly $6 million to an escort named Gregg Starr and his agency Cowboys 4 Angels after being told it was necessary to buy out his contract.

“I now recognize that I was the victim of a horrendous scheme by Starr who is a sociopath who lacks any conscience.”

Chad Flippo built Roblox wealth

Marianne's husband Chad joined Roblox as a startup employee, earned multiple patents, and built substantial wealth before dying by suicide in August 2024 after battling depression.

Rare genetic disorder heightened vulnerability

Marianne has vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that makes her unusually sensitive to alcohol and medication, with an average life expectancy of 48 to 51 years. She is 49.

Grief led her to seek companionship

Still grieving Chad's death and needing to travel to Italy for unavailable medication, Marianne asked a former colleague for help finding an Italian-speaking companion and was referred to Cowboys 4 Angels.

Initial payments structured to avoid taxes

Marianne paid Cowboys 4 Angels $27,000 for Starr's assistance on the Italy trip, split into three $9,000 payments she now believes were structured to avoid IRS reporting requirements.

Exclusive arrangement and formal contract

By March 2025, Marianne agreed to pay roughly $150,000 for Starr to be exclusive with her. By December 2025, she signed a formal Independent Contractor Agreement paying $368,000 for his companionship through May.

Drunk and pressured to sign exit agreement

During a February 2026 trip, agency employees pressed Marianne to drink despite her medications and medical condition. After roughly five drinks, they produced an Exit Agreement demanding $10 million to end Starr's contract.

“While I was drunk and confused (all of which was exacerbated by my medications and medical condition), Starr and Collins began to press me to sign the Exit Agreement.”

Banks flagged fraud, then she opened joint account

Marianne attempted to wire $10 million twice, but JPMorgan Chase and Westpac both flagged the transfers as suspected fraud. Starr then directed her to open a joint account at Charles Schwab, which allowed him to access funds without triggering fraud reviews.

Starr drained $5.7 million in weeks

Marianne transferred $5.95 million into the Charles Schwab joint account. Bank records show Starr moved $5,719,010.37 into an account in his name alone within weeks, leaving just $12.61.

Lawyer confronted Starr, threatened more demands

When Starr demanded an additional $4 million, Marianne's attorney Larry Hutcher confronted him at a July 7 meeting, calling the scheme criminal exploitation. Starr became visibly angry and threatened to abscond with the $5.95 million if she didn't pay.

“In my fifty (50) years of practice I have never seen the type of outrageous conduct that exists in this case.”