Australian tech billionaire accused of assaulting ex-partner
Updated ,first published
Western Australian tech billionaire Laurence Escalante appeared in court accused of domestic violence and drug-related offenses and assaulting his 24-year-old ex-partner.
The 44-year-old owner of the Virtual Gaming Worlds empire, which operates a network of casino-style online games in the United States, appeared in Perth Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning facing eight charges, including persistently engaging in domestic violence and criminal damage or destruction of property.
Escalante is also charged with burglary, aggravated burglary, unlawful assault and possession of cocaine and MDMA with intent to sell or supply.
Police prosecutors told the court Escalante was arrested at his home in Perth on Thursday following an incident between him and his former partner on Monday evening.
They claim the 24-year-old woman’s relationship with Escalante lasted for 12 months before it ended in December.
He told police he fell asleep early on Monday evening, then woke up to missed calls and “angry” texts from his ex-partner.
He then allegedly showed up at the woman’s home and forced his way into her bedroom, then allegedly hit her “in the face with his fist.”
The woman allegedly fell to the ground before police allege Escalante locked her in a bedroom and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, including a Cartier watch and bracelets.
Prosecutors also told the court the complainant also alleged that Escalante assaulted her multiple times throughout their relationship, including trips to Mykonos, Singapore and Bali.
The court heard that in July 2025, Escalante allegedly assaulted the victim by punching her in the face while they were driving. When she asked the driver for help, the driver allegedly “ignored her request for help and turned up the volume on the music.”
The victim claimed he sought medical treatment for his injuries in Paris.
In another incident, the woman claimed Escalante became “enraged” before repeatedly punching and kicking her in the lower body and legs.
Prosecutors alleged that Escalante consistently displayed “coercive, violent and controlling behavior” throughout the relationship.
The billionaire, who attended his hearing on Friday with a team of lawyers, requested that details of the accusations be suppressed due to a threat to his safety.
The court heard Escalante was concerned he was the target of organized crime gangs’ kidnap and extortion plots because of his wealth, but the request was rejected.
Police also claimed they found 30 grams of cocaine, 18 grams of methamphetamine and 12.2 grams of ketamine in Escalante’s possession during a search of his home on Thursday.
On Friday evening, Escalante’s company, VGW, released a statement saying he would resign as CEO of the company following the accusations.
“We are aware of the serious allegations made against Mr. Escalante,” a spokesperson for the company said.
“These are unrelated to VGW and are personal in nature. However, we can confirm that Mr. Escalante will be taking a leave of absence from his role as CEO and Chief Executive Officer of VGW. In the meantime, we have appointed experienced leadership from our existing executive team to assume these responsibilities, which remains business as usual for VGW.”
“The company takes such allegations extremely seriously. As this is a private matter and remains before the courts, we cannot comment further.”
The 44-year-old man was granted bail with strict conditions to report three times a week and had to post a $100,000 surety. The court was told Escalante plans to fight the charges.
Escalante ranked 35th in the rankings Australian Financial Review Last year, the Rich List’s net worth reached $4.5 billion, a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
Last week, it was announced that VGW had signed a “multi-year partnership” with US wrestling giant WWE for the gambling company’s brands to “collaborate across multiple platforms to deliver premium entertainment experiences to millions of players and fans in the US.”
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