Hi,
I'm a recording artist. Michael Louis Brittingham approached me on
myspace in april 09, and invited me onto "A Closed Circle", his social
network. Soon after, he made me an offer of half a million dollars of
investment into the label I was setting up at the time.
As we chatted, he also offered me an artist management contract, to become my label CEO, and a merger with an LA based label.
It soon emerged that he did not have the money at all, and although he
claimed to be coming to London to close an $80 million deal with a
major UK bank, he began to ask me if my label had money available to
fly him to London, and for "an office and modest living quarters" and
to "pay minimum living expenses" "until we get a substantial budget
input, and/or I close my deal and invest from my end".
This seemed an extremely strange request from a man who describes
himself as being a successful and wealthy entrepreneur, and many other
things including "THE Music Producer" (see
www.myspace.com/michaelbrittingham, and his other self moderated
sites), and who was proposing to bring half a million dollars to my
project. I said no.
He then tried to go one step further by asking that a wealthy friend of
mine advance him $250'000 to put into the label, that he would repay at
the closing of his next "big deal".
At that point I sent him a polite email to ask him to be in touch when
the money was on the table, and that all matters concerning the label
were out of his hands till then. I was still willing to be courteous
and give him the benefit of the doubt, although a mail asking him if he
thought I was a complete idiot, and to never to be in touch again would
have been a more accurate reflection of my feelings.
I have not heard from him since.
A more complete explanation and links can be found at
www.clientmichaelbrittingham.wordpress.com, which was posted following
contact with people financially defrauded by Mr Brittingham, in order
to help other people be aware of this person, and ask him for some
answers.
Although I did not part with any money (or succumb to his persistent
"romantic/sensual advances"), others have, and I wish to share what was
attempted with me, in order to help keep others, maybe more vulnerable
than me, safe. I have filed a report with the UK Metropolitan Police
here in London.
Artists have a tough enough time without people like this wasting our time, energy and money.
Everything I post here is fully verifiable, I have all the
correspondence, and the blog contains only allegations which we can
already prove.
On his claims to be a music producer, I have been in the business 11
years and work with some of the biggest people in the industry. None of
us have ever heard of him, nor can we find any band or artist who can
credit Mr Brittingham for their success. Please come forward if you owe
your musical success to him, as I am willing to rethink my opinion if I
am mistaken.
I hope this is useful...