Jonathan Todd Schwartz was a successful business manager for A-list celebrities and seemingly had it all. However, his life took a dark turn when he stole nearly $5 million from Alanis Morrissette and other clients. Driven by addiction, Schwartz's story is now one of rehabilitation and redemption.
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Episode Transcript
Warning.
This episode contains detailsthat some listeners
may find disturbing.
He managed money for Beyonce
as well as other A-listmusicians, actors and athletes.
He was trusted by some of the biggestnames in the biz until he wasn't.
(00:22):
In 2017, Jonathan Todd Schwartz,once a powerful business
manager to the stars, was sentencedto six years in federal prison
for embezzling over$7 million from his own clients,
including more than 4 million from singerAlanis Morissette.
What would drivesomeone with so much access,
(00:43):
influence and success to risk it all?
Greed. Addiction.
Drug abuse?
Today, Schwartz is a licensed addictioncounselor and therapist at Altus Rehab.
But before that,he was at the center of one of the most
shocking betrayalsin the entertainment industry.
Join me as we venture intoa unique situation for a study of strange,
(01:06):
where I interview JonathanTodd Schwartz himself about his story,
one of deception,rock bottom, and redemption.
White collar
crime may not be discusseda lot in true crime shows.
Maybe because it doesn'tleave blood at the scene,
but in this case,the wreckage was just as real.
(01:29):
This is a study of strange.
Welcome back to the show.
I'm Michael. Today we're doing thingsa little bit differently.
(01:51):
I have a special guest with mewho I'm very interested to talk with.
Jonathan Todd Schwartz.
Jonathan, thank you for being here.
Welcome to the show.
So an interesting topic to me,
I think in any criminal story iswhere does criminal behavior begin?
Where does it start?
How did how did your experiencein that world where did that start?
(02:14):
Where did that come from?
(03:21):
Yes. Yeah.
(04:16):
Right.
(05:36):
For sure.
(06:06):
Yeah.
(06:39):
Right.
And let me ask you this.
And I'm sure it's different with everybody
that's involved with white collar crime.
So I don't want to put you.
I don't want to have you speakfor everybody.
However, it seems to mewhen I read about stories of
of other white collar criminalsor anything like that, that there's this
(07:00):
part where it almost seems likethey know they're going to get caught,
but it's that it's that chase, it'sthat a little bit of a of an addiction
like you're talking about,
but you're just digging the holedeeper and deeper and deeper.
Would that be the right wayto kind of think about that?
(08:00):
Yeah.
(09:29):
So that came about afteryou had started gambling and all of that.
Oh. That's interesting.
Yeah.
(10:17):
Oh, my.
(10:45):
Yeah.
(11:24):
let's back up.
Now I want to hear how you got involvedwith business management.
How you ended up at a very great firm.
In and around Los Angeles.
But yeah. Take me back to the beginning.How did you get that job?
How did you start to get introducedto the clientele that you had?
(14:38):
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
(15:54):
Right.
So let's, This is actually a great placejust to explain, I think,
what a business manager doesspecifically with people in entertainment,
because I'm sure
that might be slightly differentthan the other high net worth individuals
that need a business manager.
But yeah, walk us through kind of whatyou do and also what you have access to,
because that plays a role in this storyas well.
(16:28):
Right.
(16:53):
Right.
(18:38):
Right.
Right.
(19:26):
Yeah.
And I think just by sayingyou wear many different hats.
I think that's a really importantaspect to what you did.
Why can I ask, was it Alanis account
that you started with?
(20:40):
Right.
(21:07):
Got it, got it.
And how long until your your.
I'll call it an addiction.I hope that's okay to call it that, but.
Right.
So how long untilyou started to dip into other accounts
from other clients?
(21:43):
Yeah.
(22:25):
what led to you getting caught?
(23:01):
Yeah.
Yeah.
(23:52):
Right.
(24:55):
Right.
Right.
(26:43):
Right.
Right.
(27:45):
Yeah.
Yeah.
(28:31):
I can only imagine. And.
And I know just from other research in youthat those relationships
are being rehabilitate to sort ofas we speak.
And I'd love to hear a little bitabout that and, and your next steps
moving forward.
But before I do,I do have just a curiosity kind of thing
about the the polygraph.
(28:53):
As much as you failed, isn'tit still inadmissible in court
or do they still use that?
Got it, got it.
Okay, okay.
But after that you knewyou were in trouble.
Everybody else knew that you were introuble saying that you're coming clean.
(29:15):
People are figuring things out.
How long of that process through courtand every day
had to be like a years long processthrough the sentencing and everything.
Yeah. Tell me about that.
Okay.
(29:58):
Did you go to prison for a period of time?
(33:04):
Wow. Yeah.
(34:11):
So you seem to have a very,
a great head on your shoulders, meaning,
self-awareness, reflection.
And it looks like you're.
And obviously, that work will never endnow for the rest of your life.
But how long did it take you to startcoming to terms?
It sounds like you kind of started toto come to terms with things relatively
(34:31):
quickly.
(35:12):
Yeah.
Yeah.
(37:20):
That's wonderful.
And I can only imagine that.
I think there'san internal personal therapy,
if you will, to giving backand helping others.
I feel like that's the best way forwardAnd you also have this, I think
because of that step of your journey,your story is a bit of a Hollywood story.
And I don't just mean thatbecause you work with big Hollywood
(37:43):
clients, but you do havethis great character arc, so to speak.
And I've heard you mentioned beforebooks and movies.
Can you tell us a little bitabout things going on in that world?
(38:47):
Right.
Right.
(39:39):
Yeah.
(40:57):
Yeah.
(41:28):
I mean, in a weird way,it does almost seem easy
being in the positionyou were in to take money to be like.
Oh, I'll just use a little of thisright here.
Because of the type of accessand because people probably don't
always ask for those sorts documents.
(42:09):
Right, right.
Well, I can't thank you enoughfor being on the show today, Jonathan.
Is there anything else that you want toadd before we say goodbye?
(42:40):
Great.
And I'll provide some links to thosein the show notes for anybody, as well.
It's a fascinating story.I wish you all the luck.
I'll be following you as well.
Thank you for listening to the show.
Before you go real quick.
(43:00):
I have one thing I want to ask.
Please go check out our Substack.
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Gain access to episodes earlywithout commercials.
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(43:21):
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And until next time.
Thank you and good night.
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