# Roblox widow allegedly defrauded of $6 million by escort > A grieving woman with a rare genetic disorder was allegedly manipulated into transferring nearly $6 million to an escort and his agency through an elaborate scheme. - Title: Roblox widow allegedly defrauded of $6 million by escort - Summary: A grieving woman with a rare genetic disorder was allegedly manipulated into transferring nearly $6 million to an escort and his agency through an elaborate… - Keywords: roblox, marianne flippo, gregg starr, cowboys 4 angels, escort fraud, manhattan supreme court, vascular ehlers-danlos syndrome, financial exploitation, elder fraud, vulnerability to manipulation, widow, allegedly - Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/09/18/roblox-widow-lawsuit-escort-paid-6-million-contract - Author: Catherina Gioino - Read time: 2 min - Topics: roblox, marianne flippo, gregg starr, cowboys 4 angels, escort fraud, manhattan supreme court, vascular ehlers-danlos syndrome, financial exploitation, elder fraud, vulnerability to manipulation ## 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. ## Key takeaway Vulnerability to manipulation and financial exploitation can happen to anyone, regardless of wealth, especially when grief, illness, and trust are weaponized against them.