Calvin Harris has secured a $13.5 million arbitration award in his legal dispute with former business manager Thomas St. John over a failed real estate venture. The ruling covers an unpaid loan tied to the CMNTY Culture Campus project in Hollywood. Further claims of fraud and an equity investment remain unresolved.
Calvin Harris, whose real name is Adam Wiles, initiated arbitration proceedings against Thomas St. John this summer, accusing him of fraudulently diverting $22 million from the DJ's accounts in 2023 to fund the CMNTY Culture Campus, a planned Hollywood recording studio and office space that never materialized. The funds consisted of a $10 million loan and a $12 million equity investment. St. John has denied the allegations as "categorically false," insisting Harris was a willing participant.
In a December ruling made public on January 7, retired federal judge Michael R. Wilner, overseeing the confidential arbitration, held St. John and his associated entities jointly liable for $13,438,666.55. This sum includes the $10 million principal, $2,666,666.56 in interest, a $200,000 origination fee, a $200,000 exit fee, and a $371,999.99 late charge. The decision addresses only the loan repayment; the $12 million equity stake and broader fraud accusations will proceed in ongoing arbitration.
The CMNTY Culture project originated from the 2020 sale of songwriter Philip Lawrence's catalog of Bruno Mars hits. Lawrence initially partnered with St. John for tax benefits but later exited due to financial troubles, leaving St. John in charge. St. John then sought investments from Harris and others, securing a $35 million loan from Parkview Financial. The venture stalled amid a Los Angeles office market downturn, pivoting unsuccessfully to residential development before defaulting. Parkview foreclosed on the property in December, purchasing it for $25 million, and filed a lawsuit against St. John on January 13 for the remaining $16 million plus interest.
St. John's professional woes mount: his U.S. management firm, Thomas St. John Group, filed for bankruptcy last year and is liquidating assets. Separately, EDM artist Eric Prydz sued St. John in November, alleging $269,000 in unauthorized commissions, which St. John called "wholly fabricated." Representatives for both parties did not comment on January 14.
