The DIS Unplugged #8

[Love_the_kitz]

so pete went to rehab for 80 weeks? that cant be it, the spend happened in an earlier statement period than his rehab stint.

800k in dvc contracts sounds beyond anything even pete would do

he spent the 800k on gambling. overdid it, is an addict thereby needed a rehab stay. this has to be it.

Are you saying Pete paid for rehab using his AMEX card? It's very possible, some of those places can get quite posh and expensive. Sounds like something he'd do... but then he'd be dying to tell about the experience on-air, did he?

Regardless of how he build up over $800K in charges, in my book walking away from that sum of money is theft. People get in trouble for far less.
Maybe AMEX needs to re-visit its limitless credit line policy.

 

[glitternails]

I'm side eyeing anyone over there who kisses ass and then volunteers themselves to be a mod.

 

[Cinnamon1]

so pete went to rehab for 80 weeks? that cant be it, the spend happened in an earlier statement period than his rehab stint.

800k in dvc contracts sounds beyond anything even pete would do

he spent the 800k on gambling. overdid it, is an addict thereby needed a rehab stay. this has to be it.
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i used dut and still did that myself Wtf thanks kelly mikahliaki

What about all the concierge cruises he did last year? Or were they paid by the business?
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I'm side eyeing anyone over there who kisses ass and then volunteers themselves to be a mod.

Also, some paying tens of thousands of dollars in special events and ABD trips to hang out with John and Kevin!

 

[Love_the_kitz]

I'm side eyeing anyone over there who kisses ass and then volunteers themselves to be a mod.

This is exactly what we see going on for moderators on the live streams. The kiss-ups, particularly those who toss money at the streamers are the ones who get the job, and then the open, fun air of discussion is squashed.

 

[VloggerCritic]

The deal with American Express is no limit but it is due by the end of the grace period. Unless you use some sort of pay over time promotion but that isn't the usual way the card operates.

So unless I am misunderstanding something the $800k+ had to be spent in a short time of 1 to 2 months right? If you didn't pay off the balance they'd give you some more time then shut off your ability to use the card. The redacted statement in the lawsuit doesn't mention anything about cash advances or pay over time promotions (the smaller lawsuit does mention a pay over time balance he also defaulted on) and the card use had to be purchases the best I can tell.

 

[Love_the_kitz]

The deal with American Express is no limit but it is due by the end of the grace period. Unless you use some sort of pay over time promotion but that isn't the usual way the card operates.

So unless I am misunderstanding something the $800k+ had to be spent in a short time of 1 to 2 months right? If you didn't pay off the balance they'd give you some more time then shut off your ability to use the card. The redacted statement in the lawsuit doesn't mention anything about cash advances or pay over time promotions (the smaller lawsuit does mention a pay over time balance he also defaulted on) and the card use had to be purchases the best I can tell.

This is my understanding too. The business AMEX with no limit is not a "credit card", there's another term for it, it is the model by which American Express started their business before they got into Credit cards.

So how in the hell did Pete amass such a debt in a month (assuming it is a one month grace period)? Medical (or perhaps an expensive rehab) bills do seem likely.

 

[Cinnamon1]

The deal with American Express is no limit but it is due by the end of the grace period. Unless you use some sort of pay over time promotion but that isn't the usual way the card operates.

So unless I am misunderstanding something the $800k+ had to be spent in a short time of 1 to 2 months right? If you didn't pay off the balance they'd give you some more time then shut off your ability to use the card. The redacted statement in the lawsuit doesn't mention anything about cash advances or pay over time promotions (the smaller lawsuit does mention a pay over time balance he also defaulted on) and the card use had to be purchases the best I can tell.

I don't have an AMEX, so I really don't know the terms of what the card he had were. I didn't think about the time frame of how long you can keep a balance, I was thinking about all the purchases he could have been using it for in the last year or two. If this amount is just from a month or two, talk about quite the mystery of spending that quick.

 

[OurTimeIsRunningOut]

Hmm, Pete filed a Notice of Commencement for work on his house in the beginning of July.

But the contractor is Frank Gay, who I think only does plumbing/HVAC. Perhaps a contributing factor for the debt?

 

[MichaelsAchilles]

Sean mentioned about guys that pay others to cruise with them for the sole reason of having a higher per-diem limit at the casino... Maybe this was the hint he dropped.

Since you you can charge your gambling losses to your room (which is then charged directly to your credit card), a huge losing streak could add up quickly on an Amex bill in addtion to the 30k+ you are paying on the cruise. Add in a shopping addiction and that maybe that is the picture that is being painted here over a period of 60-90 days.

He told a story about Pete getting locked into a slot machine and missing dinner. Maybe this isn't a "I loss a few thousand at the casinos", but is a "I lost everything addiction".

Pure speculation on my part, but I could see the pieces falling into place.

 

[OurTimeIsRunningOut]

Sean mentioned about guys that pay others to cruise with them for the sole reason of having a higher per-diem limit at the casino... Maybe this was the hint he dropped.

Since you you can charge your gambling losses to your room (which is then charged directly to your credit card), a huge losing streak could add up quickly on an Amex bill in addtion to the 30k+ you are paying on the cruise. Add in a shopping addiction and that maybe that is the picture that is being painted here over a period of 60-90 days.

He told a story about Pete getting locked into a slot machine and missing dinner. Maybe this isn't a "I loss a few thousand at the casinos", but is a "I lost everything addiction".

Pure speculation on my part, but I could see the pieces falling into place.

This WAS quite the detail. I think you’re on the right path for sure.

Edit: If it can happen to Tony Soprano it could happen any anyone. Anyway, $4 a pound…

 

[RescueRanger]

he spent the 800k on gambling. overdid it, is an addict thereby needed a rehab stay. this has to be it.

This . We know he has had gambling issues in the past. Completely plausible
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Sean mentioned about guys that pay others to cruise with them for the sole reason of having a higher per-diem limit at the casino... Maybe this was the hint he dropped.

Since you you can charge your gambling losses to your room (which is then charged directly to your credit card), a huge losing streak could add up quickly on an Amex bill in addtion to the 30k+ you are paying on the cruise. Add in a shopping addiction and that maybe that is the picture that is being painted here over a period of 60-90 days.

He told a story about Pete getting locked into a slot machine and missing dinner. Maybe this isn't a "I loss a few thousand at the casinos", but is a "I lost everything addiction".

Pure speculation on my part, but I could see the pieces falling into place.

Yes!! I think we glossed over the gambling details. Curious, did he take a non Disney cruise in December?

 

[Saul's Gal]

This . We know he has had gambling issues in the past. Completely plausible
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Yes!! I think we glossed over the gambling details. Curious, did he take a non Disney cruise in December?

Many of his DCL cruises stop in Nassau, and I recall him mentioning the casino in Atlantis being very nice. You can definitely do some damage if you spend the port day there. Other ports have casinos as well.

 

[ProfessorFate]

Also, some paying tens of thousands of dollars in special events and ABD trips to hang out with John and Kevin!

And when Kevin gets tired of his scooter, they'll pay even more for the chance to carry him from one Louis Vuitton store to the next in his very own sedan chair...

I'll show myself to the door.

 

[Charm]

OMG - are these a thing? I wouldn't go to mystery restaurant let alone on a mystery overnight trip. LOL

Especially not it Pete was planning it

 

[RescueRanger]

Hmm, Pete filed a Notice of Commencement for work on his house in the beginning of July.

But the contractor is Frank Gay, who I think only does plumbing/HVAC. Perhaps a contributing factor for the debt?

It said it was for electrical work and looks like has to be $2500 or over to require that form. However no building permits that I can find for his address and this was all far more recent than the Amex bill so I think it’s completely unrelated.

 

[eonxblue]

Sean mentioned about guys that pay others to cruise with them for the sole reason of having a higher per-diem limit at the casino... Maybe this was the hint he dropped.

Since you you can charge your gambling losses to your room (which is then charged directly to your credit card), a huge losing streak could add up quickly on an Amex bill in addtion to the 30k+ you are paying on the cruise. Add in a shopping addiction and that maybe that is the picture that is being painted here over a period of 60-90 days.

He told a story about Pete getting locked into a slot machine and missing dinner. Maybe this isn't a "I loss a few thousand at the casinos", but is a "I lost everything addiction".

Pure speculation on my part, but I could see the pieces falling into place.

i agree, dvc contract theory makes no sense. fancy rehab theory makes no sense.

gambling theory makes complete sense

 

[Bullybuster]

This lunatic dumped the company payroll into a slot machine (worst odds on the floor), on a cruise ship casino, the worst odds in the gaming industry?

Oh, he's definitely a titan of industry who is more than qualified to offer his high-horse lectures on how Disney should run their business and how it should treat its employees. Thanks to his disciplined visionary approach, his employees undoubtedly have never felt more secure about their futures than now.

I think it was in chapter three of Michael Eisner's book, Keys To The Kingdom where he outlines his strategy of opening up a company AMEX and heading to the nearest Carnival Cruise Casino to expand corporate cashflow.

Imagine being Cory, who has a family to support, staring down the barrel of that bill.

Werner's is a human bleeping wrecking ball; everyone who has come in contact with this tool is worse off because of him.

 

[Thunderbirdtoo]

It's been a while since I looked at the court filings, but I think the big/company card had a pay over time limit of $50k. I bet someone on a bender (of whatever variety or combination of vices) could stretch that "pay it back immediately" time out over a few months of spending (while AmEx sends you increasingly less polite demands for payment) before they cut you off. Rehab, though expensive, doesn't match the timeline. He went to AZ in February or March, and that bill (which was already past due) was from January. It would be great to get a look his travel itinerary for last summer/fall.

Sean, I went back and reread some of your earlier posts, trying to decipher your clues. If you ever decide to write a mystery novel, I'd pre-order a copy today.

 

[Love_the_kitz]

Pausing the conversation - a note to those impacted by Pete's abuse, we haven't forgotten about you.
All this spitballing about how Pete built up so much debt is interesting, but it is just a civil lawsuit.
What he did otherwise, to all those he harmed, was criminal and there are no excuses for his actions.

My heart is with you as you work to recover what he stole from you. Be strong & please know I and many others care about you.

 

[RescueRanger]

Many of his DCL cruises stop in Nassau, and I recall him mentioning the casino in Atlantis being very nice. You can definitely do some damage if you spend the port day there. Other ports have casinos as well.

Ah yes good point!