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Co-lead or crown? Tussle for Omnicom–IPG leadership race in India heats up
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faces abuse, surveillance allegations from ex-girlfriend Michelle Ritter
Court filings detail accusations of a “system of total control” that allegedly involved monitoring communications, financial coercion, and the use of private investigators.
Schmidt and Ritter began their relationship in 2020, when Ritter was a student at Columbia University. Their personal relationship later evolved into a professional partnership through Steel Perlot, an AI-focused startup founded by Ritter and reportedly backed by Schmidt with an investment of about USD 100 million.
Tech giant Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt is facing serious allegations from his ex-girlfriend Michelle Ritter, who has accused him of abuse, stalking, and what she describes as “absolute digital surveillance,” according to a Moneycontrol report.
Court filings obtained by The New York Post detail accusations of a “system of total control” that allegedly involved monitoring communications, financial coercion, and the use of private investigators. Schmidt has denied the allegations, calling them “demonstrably false,” as the dispute over multimillion-dollar settlements and a failed AI venture continues to escalate.
Schmidt and Ritter began their relationship in 2020, when Ritter was a student at Columbia University. Their personal relationship later evolved into a professional partnership through Steel Perlot, an AI-focused startup founded by Ritter and reportedly backed by Schmidt with an investment of about USD 100 million.
In her filings, Ritter claims Schmidt pressured her to sign false declarations denying misconduct, locked her out of business accounts, and hired private investigators to follow her parents. She described these actions as part of an alleged attempt to “suppress exposure of his misconduct and abuse” through arbitration and economic attrition, according to reports.
The two had previously reached a settlement after Ritter withdrew a restraining order, but she now alleges Schmidt failed to meet his obligations. The filings suggest Schmidt continues to pursue arbitration, which Ritter says is intended to drain her financial resources.
The dispute also involves Schmidt’s luxury properties and shared business interests tied to Steel Perlot. Schmidt has dismissed the latest claims as “false” and a “misuse of the judicial process.” Most court filings remain sealed ahead of a December 2025 hearing in Los Angeles.
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