Alberto Genovese case on Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict - A detailed case overview

Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict follows how a star of Italy’s tech scene went from splashy success to a prison term. The series traces the police work, the courtroom turns, and the accounts of women who came forward. It opens in central Milan, near the Duomo, where a disoriented young woman sets the investigation in motion after fleeing a penthouse party.

The story centers on entrepreneur Alberto Genovese, known for founding comparison and insurance ventures. Behind the glow of dealmaking and parties, investigators say, ran a pattern of abuse tied to drugs, private gatherings, and power. The show lays out that trail in plain steps and lets those who lived it speak.

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Timeline that Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict reconstructs

Genovese rose fast in the 2000s and 2010s with ventures linked to online insurance and other startups. In October 2020, police arrested him in Milan after an 18-year-old reported hours of abuse in his penthouse, known as Terrazza Sentimento.

Police arrested Genovese in October 2020 in Milan after the report by an 18 year old (Image via Pexels)

A separate report described an earlier episode in Ibiza in July 2020. Prosecutors argued the victims had been drugged and unable to consent. According to Unione Sarda, Milan prosecutors sought trial on both the Milan and Ibiza events and described a mix of cocaine and other substances in play.

The Milan case moved first. Videos, phone records, party witness lists, and messages formed much of the file. The court later issued a prison term of 6 years and 11 months for assaults against two women. Per La Stampa, after a period in community treatment, Genovese returned to prison in February 2023 to serve the remaining sentence.

The court issued a sentence of 6 years and 11 months for assaults against two women (Image via Pexels)

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Court outcomes shown in Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict

While serving that term, Genovese faced a second track of proceedings. Il Messaggero reported he agreed to a plea on a tax count, receiving a 10-month sentence converted to a 75,000-euro fine, and remained on trial for new sexual abuse charges tied to parties in the same penthouse. Prosecutors asked for multi-year sentences in that fast-track case, and the court scheduled the verdict for July 9.

In parallel coverage, Italian outlets detailed later rulings on related accusations. Corriere della Sera reported that in July 2024, he was acquitted on charges involving a former girlfriend, while the court convicted him of attempted violence and other offenses and set a 15-month sentence.

Through counsel and in court, Genovese has said heavy drug use clouded his judgment and that he wants to change his life. These claims, he says, explain but do not excuse his conduct. The series notes these statements and sets them against victim accounts and the court record.

Also read: Who was Erick Crain? Details explored from the Ernest Luttrel case shown in Who Hired the Hitman episode 1

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Context that Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict puts on screen

The parties at Terrazza Sentimento drew models, friends, and business contacts. Guests reportedly knew drugs were common, and some said the theme was sex and cocaine. In a hearing covered by Unione Sarda, Genovese cried, apologized, and described himself as a slave to drugs.

A defense expert outlined personality issues and substance abuse that, they argued, reduced his ability to perceive a withdrawal of consent. Prosecutors countered with videos and testimony that showed clear dissent and prolonged violence.

Money also threads through the case. Deals, exits, and investments funded the parties and a lifestyle that the show treats as context rather than cause. Police saw the penthouse, private security, and devices not as glamour but as tools that hid or recorded abuse. The court sifted those same materials to fix timelines and consent.

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Watch Start Up, Fall Down: From Billionaire to Convict on Netflix.

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Also read: What was the evidence found against Alex Murdaugh? Details explored from the Murdaugh family case

Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar