JAIME ANDRES BENEDETTI at PURSHE KAPLAN STERLING INVESTMENTS – View Complaints, Disclosures, Scams and Audit Report (Updated 2023)

Disclosure #1 for JAIME BENEDETTI

• • eventDate: 8/30/2021
  • Disclosure Type: Customer Dispute
  • Disclosure Resolution: Pending
  • Disclosure Detail :: Allegations: Client alleges unsuitability and misrepresentation regarding the sale of GPB.
  • Damage Amount Requested: $300,000.00
  • Arbitration Docket Number:
  • Broker Comment: I am sorry that the client feels that we misrepresented these investments or that they were in any way unsuitable. Neither of these are the case. Regarding the misrepresentation of these investments: We take our stewardship of client assets very seriously. My business partner and I have personally invested in each of the GPB offerings that we made available to clients. Collectively, we own every offering that this client claims we misrepresented. Additionally, there were two share classes issued for each GPB offering, with and without an up-front commission. We only invested client money in shares that did not pay up front commissions. None of our clients paid a commission to purchase their shares (as this client claims). Regarding the suitability of these investments for the client: This client far exceeds the accredited investor criteria necessary for participating in these offerings. He is a sophisticated investor with over 20 years’ experience investing in both public and private markets and was fully aware of the risks. At the time of purchase, the disputed investments accounted for about 2% of his investable assets. He is comfortable with both complexity and risk and has a long track record of similarly sophisticated investments. These include but are not limited to: initial offerings of privately held REIT’s and BDC’s, purchasing privately held REIT’s at a discount on the secondary market, selling covered calls, cryptocurrencies, penny stocks, venture capital, private equity and direct capital raises. The client has the ability to invest alongside a large venture capital fund, and in our last call, he indicated that moving forward, he was going to focus on angel investing. I have worked with this client for over 15 years. During that time, the lion’s share of his investments were self-managed, or with a low cost robo-advisor. I only managed a small portion of this client’s portfolio and he came to me specifically for unique investment opportunities that he could not find on his own. I have always tried to do right by this client and I am truly saddened by these accusations.