Widow of Roblox Programmer Alleges Male Escort Scammed Her Out of $6 Million

New York: The widow of a programmer who helped develop key software for the online gaming platform Roblox has filed a lawsuit alleging that a male escort manipulated her into handing over nearly $6 million following her husband's death.

Marianne Flippo, 49, filed the civil case in Manhattan Supreme Court against Greggory Blaine Starr, 38, accusing him of exploiting her grief and convincing her that he loved her while seeking access to her wealth.

Starr has denied the allegations and disputed Flippo's account of their relationship. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Who is Marianne Flippo?

Marianne Flippo was married to Chad Flippo, a computer programmer who worked with Roblox during its early development. According to court documents cited by The Independent, Chad Flippo had multiple patents and accumulated substantial wealth during his career.

The couple had reportedly been together since they were teenagers and were married for 28 years. They had three children.

Chad died by suicide on August 5, 2024, according to Marianne's court filing. His death left her with an inheritance and, according to her affidavit, with limited experience managing the family's finances because her husband had traditionally handled their financial affairs.

How did Marianne Flippo meet Greggory Starr?

According to the lawsuit, Flippo met Starr after her husband's death when she needed a companion for a trip to Italy to obtain medication.

She contacted Cowboys4Angels, a service that provides male companions, and hired Starr for the trip. Court filings say she paid about $27,000 initially.

Flippo alleges that their relationship subsequently developed from a professional arrangement into a romantic one. She claims Starr repeatedly expressed affection and eventually persuaded her to pay substantial amounts to maintain an exclusive relationship.

According to The Independent, she later paid hundreds of thousands of dollars under agreements connected to Starr's availability.

The alleged $10 million contract

The central allegation concerns an agreement that Flippo says Starr presented as necessary for him to leave the escort agency and pursue a relationship with her.

According to her affidavit, Starr told her that he needed approximately $10 million to buy out existing contractual obligations with Cowboys4Angels.

Flippo alleges that she agreed because she believed Starr loved her and wanted to build a future together.

She says she signed an agreement in February 2026 while recovering from surgery and taking prescription medication, and after consuming alcohol.

When she attempted to transfer the full $10 million, however, her banks reportedly raised concerns about the transaction and stopped or recalled the transfers.

Nearly $6 million transferred

According to court documents, Flippo subsequently opened a joint Charles Schwab account with Starr.

She alleges that she transferred a total of approximately $5.95 million into the account.

Flippo claims Starr subsequently gained control over the money and began transferring funds out of the account.

Her lawsuit seeks the return of the money and asks the court to prevent Starr from spending or moving additional funds while the case proceeds.

What does Greggory Starr say?

Starr has rejected Flippo's allegations.

According to The New York Post, Starr said that much of the money was spent on expenses for Flippo, the couple and charitable donations. He disputed the claim that he coerced her into signing the agreement.

Starr also alleged that he experienced mistreatment during the relationship and said Flippo's account did not accurately describe what happened between them.

His attorney, Todd Spodek, said the evidence would ultimately determine the facts of the dispute.

Why did the lawsuit come to court?

Flippo's lawyers became concerned about the financial arrangement after learning about the proposed $10 million payment, according to court filings.

Her attorney Larry Hutcher subsequently confronted Starr about the arrangement. Flippo says that confrontation helped her realise that she may have been manipulated.

She is now seeking the return of the $5.95 million, along with other relief including legal costs and restrictions on Starr's access to the disputed funds.

What happens next?

The case is a civil lawsuit, and the allegations against Starr have not been established as facts.

The court will have to consider evidence concerning the relationship, the agreements between the parties, the transfers of money and the circumstances under which Flippo signed the alleged contract.

Cowboys4Angels has not been named as a defendant in the lawsuit at this stage.

As the case progresses, further court filings and evidence could shed light on how nearly $6 million changed hands and whether the transactions amounted to fraud, a contractual dispute or something else.