Giuseppe Conte, Zampolli nails him: “He told me about his father-in-law’s hotel” | Libero Quotidiano.it

A bit of a guiding thinker of a maximalist left with government ambitions, a bit of a real estate agent in the luxury real estate sector. Giuseppe Conte is currently engaged in seemingly irreconcilable activities. On one hand, he aims to be crowned leader of the populares (the Broad Field) ahead of the 2027 political elections; on the other, he manages the real estate assets of his partner, Olivia Paladino. For a large part of center-left voters, he is the most credible candidate to lead the coalition, both for his past experience as prime minister and for his proven professional skills as a prominent lawyer.

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But it is precisely because of the latter that Conte occasionally takes off the always designer clothes of a political leader and puts on those of a lawyer. A need he feels particularly urgent when it comes to family matters. In fact, not many know that Conte is involved in the sale of the Grand Hotel Plaza, a historic five-star (needless to say) overlooking Via del Corso and just a few meters from Piazza di Spagna. The hotel has belonged to the Paladino family for decades and has always been managed by the patriarch Cesare, assisted by his daughters Cristiana and Olivia.

Today business is a bit shaky and the two main companies of the group, Agricola Monastero Santo Stefano Vecchio srl and Immobiliare di Roma Splendido srl, were put into liquidation in February after many discussions, pushed by Cristiana, the most eager to get rid of the debts accumulated over the years by the holding. To find a solution, on July 16, 2024, a merger project of three group companies was filed, which evidently was not finalized, since on July 24 a new plan was presented according to which the Agricola Srl would “survive” and incorporate almost all the companies of the Paladino galaxy. In this way, all the properties (including the Plaza), assets, and liabilities would be concentrated in a single entity.

However, it remains to be clarified why a company in the process of closing was chosen as the incorporating entity. Does the new project assume a prior or simultaneous revocation of the liquidation status? Certainly, Agricola would have to take on the obligations of all the group companies, starting with the 29 million in tax debts accumulated by Unione esercizi alberghieri di lusso srl, the company managing the holding’s properties. Meanwhile, the lawsuits with half-brother and former partner Shawn Shadow have been settled: the sisters will pay him 12 million euros in installments plus almost another million in legal fees over 36 months.

THE PLAZA FOR SALE
But other issues remain open, which could be resolved with the sale of the group’s main asset, namely the Plaza. The task of finding a buyer was entrusted to a real estate agency and to Cristiana’s husband, Matteo Di Raimondo, a lawyer and lecturer at Luiss. His mandate expires in October. For some months, the professional has been meeting prospective buyers with a draft of a Non-Binding Offer (NBO), which is used in negotiations to establish the terms of the sale, a sort of “pre-agreement” between the parties.

According to Libero, it was Conte himself who drafted it and also set the boundaries for the possible due diligence. These documents, according to some of our sources, are somewhat “underperforming.” For example, they do not provide for a preliminary sales agreement or the possibility of a full disclosure of the group’s financial situation. However, Di Raimondo sees no clouds on the horizon: “The property is for sale at a price higher than the book value and the company selling it has no creditors except the Treasury, which is a non-hostile creditor with whom agreements have been made: write-offs, installments.”

We ask the lawyer to confirm whether Conte had a role in finalizing some documents: “I am not aware of that. Certainly, he is Olivia’s partner and a lawyer, so it is normal that he can help with some reasoning, but he does not have an active role in this matter,” assures Di Raimondo. Faced with the suspicion that his mandate might be a blunt weapon, he replies serenely: “You can marry someone in many ways, even without a prenuptial agreement.” But the seller whom Cesare Paladino would trust the most would be the other son-in-law, “Giuseppi,” indeed. Not only would he have handled the official documents preparatory to the sale, but he would even have personally discussed the property with a possible VIP buyer: Paolo Zampolli, Donald Trump’s friend, who last March was caught by Libero having lunch with Conte at the renowned Roman restaurant Sanlorenzo. In influential circles, it is said that Cesare Paladino shared this reasoning: let’s let Matteo have fun, and if he can’t manage, we already have the solution, which is Giuseppe.

ZAMPOLLI SPEAKS
The reference is precisely to the contact with Zampolli and his connections with the Trump world, whose fortunes, as is known, are well rooted in the real estate sector. When we contact the Italian-American entrepreneur, he is on a boat and having some trouble with a storm. But he is in a great mood: “If they told you that with ‘Giuseppi’ we talked about the hotel, fine. Just don’t say I was the first to say it.” Then he lights up: “It’s a fantastic building that must be sold at the right price.”

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And what is the right price? “If they offered me three hundred million cash, I would take it immediately.” Then he asks: “Who gave you my name?” He seems to have had a change of heart: “You know, whatever I say or do, I get calls from the State Department…” We explain that we are only seeking confirmation of news we received from other sources. At this point, Zampolli is convinced he is not a victim of a trap: “The only business I’ve done, besides fashion, is real estate in the USA. I’ve followed many real estate deals and continue to do so.” The entrepreneur searches for the right words: “We can say that because it’s the truth: I didn’t go to talk politics with Conte at that breakfast. We discussed many things, including the hotel, and he clarified: ‘Look, the hotel is not mine, it belongs to my partner’s family.'”

The entrepreneur wants to emphasize his role: “I am a special government employee, like Kushner, Witkoff… we can also do business, but we don’t sell relationships with the US president.” And did the “government employee” Zampolli visit the former Italian prime minister’s family’s property? The answer is somewhat evasive: “I saw it from outside, I was in Rome for a few days and the buildings in Rome are very beautiful. And this is one of the most beautiful in Italy…” We ask if he is looking for a buyer and Zampolli goes on the defensive: “Right now I work for the President of the United States of America, I am not operating for my friends or other parties, including the Paladino group, but I certainly know very ‘liquid’ people who could buy the Plaza with their eyes closed, cash.”

So can we say the talks continue? “They could continue when the seller is ready.” Can he name a possible buyer? “I don’t think buyers want to be exposed, but I repeat, they are very ‘liquid’.” Are they Americans? “Not only, they could also be from other countries.” Due to bad weather, the line drops. When we manage to contact the interviewee again, we remind him that our source told us that Paladino senior is very confident in the goodness of the “American channel of Giuseppe,” and then Zampolli opens up a bit more: “I confirm that, but if it comes from them, because I kept this thing secret… in recent months I went to have breakfast with ‘Giuseppi’ also because I wanted to talk about this topic more than others. I don’t give a damn about talking politics with Conte. I didn’t even know he was almost a communist, although I always liked him as a person.” Well, really a communist… “Indeed, he has a ‘poor’ girlfriend… with a 300 million building…”

“I HAVE A VERY SERIOUS CLIENT”
Back to the charge: have you ever stayed at the Plaza? And Zampolli dodges the question again: “I’ve slept in many hotels in Rome.” At this point, we ask for a quote: “It seems they want 325 million. Write (he laughs, ed.) that I buy it at 300. Actually at 299.” Who told you they are asking for 325 million? “Conte didn’t commit, but he told me they are talking about big figures… But 325 is off-market for me.”

We try to get him to reveal his client’s name: “He is one of the most serious you can find in the world.” Has there already been a contact? “If people are talking about it, I would say yes, and I have already warned the prospective buyer about this chat with you.” In the end, Zampolli reiterates that he cannot talk about politics, but he can talk about real estate, with Conte, but also with us: “I am following the sale of about 400 government buildings that we are refurbishing in Washington and other cities. The very little money I made, I earned with real estate, which is something I have always liked. I initially worked in this sector with Trump in the Trump Organization, then I did my own things.”

THE LONDON OFFER
Meanwhile, at the end of April, Cbe Capital Limited, a private investment and merchant banking company based in London, specialized in real estate, made an offer of 310 million, but the proposal has not yet been accepted. Representing Cbe is another politician (he is deputy secretary of Azione, the party founded by Carlo Calenda), lawyer Andrea Mazziotti di Celso, partner at the law firm Gianni & Origoni (Gop), where he deals with mergers, acquisitions, and extraordinary finance. We ask Mazziotti for clarification and he shields himself behind professional secrecy: “I don’t know who gave you the information, but I am not authorized to say anything. I have a confidentiality agreement with the client on everything, so I cannot talk about offers, unfinished deals, etc. I can only confirm that I represent Cbe in most of their operations in Italy.” Has Mazziotti talked about this deal with the “colleague” politician Conte? “Absolutely not. I know about his indirect connection to this matter, in the sense that his partner is one of the shareholders of the company selling the Plaza. But I can tell you I haven’t spoken to Conte in twenty, twenty-five years.” For his part, the former prime minister’s brother-in-law, Di Raimondo, denies not only knowing about the deal with Cbe but also about the contact with Zampolli: “Who is this gentleman, excuse me?” Evidently, information circulates sparingly in the Paladino household.

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