Overview:
This article covers the Securities and Exchange Commission’s civil complaint against Tai Lopez and Alex Mehr, details the accusations, notes Presence News’ outreach to Lopez for comment, and places the case in context with past SEC actions involving Elon Musk.
Updated on 01/03/2025
The Basics: What the SEC says
On Sept. 22, 2025, the SEC filed a civil complaint alleging that Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), founded by Tai Lopez and Alex Mehr, raised about $112 million from hundreds of investors. The company pitched its turnaround strategy as a way to breathe life back into iconic retail brands — including RadioShack, Pier 1 Imports, Modell’s, Dressbarn, and others.
The SEC alleges investors were promised high returns through unsecured notes and ownership shares, while in reality:
- $5–6 million in payouts were made with new investor money, described as “Ponzi-like.”
- Roughly $16 million was diverted for personal expenses.
- Several portfolio companies, including RadioShack, were not profitable, and creditors later foreclosed on REV’s assets.
The SEC is asking the court to impose civil penalties, disgorgement of funds, and bans on Lopez, Mehr, and other executives from future leadership roles.
Presence News reached out
Presence News contacted Tai Lopez with this message:
“Tai Lopez, Do you have any news on ideas to increase revenue / profitability for RadioShack and Pier 1? thanks — Presence News — Long Time listener”
As of publication, no direct response has been received. If a statement is issued, we will update this article.
RadioShack’s place in the case
For many investors, the chance to see RadioShack — once a household electronics brand — reborn online was central to REV’s pitch. Lopez’s investment in the name was framed as a bold revival plan. The SEC’s allegations now suggest that instead of a legitimate turnaround, much of the investment pool was misused.
Context: Other SEC actions against big names
- Elon Musk (Tesla, 2018): Settled with SEC over a misleading tweet about taking Tesla private, resulting in $40 million in fines and corporate governance restrictions.
Why this matters
The RadioShack name symbolized REV’s ambition: to use e-commerce to bring back iconic retail giants. Investors bought into that vision. The SEC’s allegations — if proven — show how even household-name brands can become the center of alleged securities fraud.
Editorial Disclaimer:
Editor’s Note (Jan. 3, 2025): The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has removed a previously published press release related to this matter from its website. The original link now returns a dead page as of the date noted.
Primary Source Document:
The original SEC civil complaint referenced in this article is provided below for transparency and public record access. This document is publicly available through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Presence News does not typically cover lawsuits involving entrepreneurs, and this article was not something we initially intended to report. However, given that this story is circulating widely in the media — including coverage in People Magazine — it is a topic our readers expect us to address.
To clarify our perspective: the only recent public activity we are aware of regarding Tai Lopez is/was his hosting of networking events, reportedly in Beverly Hills.
Presence News aims to provide factual coverage and context on widely discussed stories while maintaining transparency about our own proximity to the events we report.
Presence News will update this report as additional filings or statements become available.
Sources
Note (Jan. 3, 2025): Several third-party news articles previously referenced in this report — including press coverage from CBS News and Fox Business regarding the SEC’s lawsuit against Tai Lopez and Alex Mehr — are no longer available at their original URLs as of this date. The lawsuit itself is confirmed by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s official litigation release, which names Lopez and Mehr as defendants in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Taino Adrian Lopez, et al., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. SEC (Publications that took down initial allegations press releases verified by Presence News are CBS News, Fox Business & Wall Street Journal)
Archived coverage from CBS News and summaries by other business outlets confirmed key components of the SEC’s allegations before the original links were removed.
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