Stephen Curry & Wife Ayesha’s Generous Gesture Was Mishandled as New Trouble Appears From Oakland

Ayesha and Stephen Curry have gone out of their way to build San Francisco into a budding city. Within their adopted home, they have done immense philanthropy work, ranging from taking care of underserved children to generous donations. But all that they can control is the flow of their money. How it is utilized depends entirely on the organization. One such person took advantage and recently admitted to guilt in front of the court.

Howard Solomon, who served as the executive director for East Oakland Boxing Club, accepted the charges of embezzling donations made to the non-profit into his own personal accounts. Solomon confessed he used the funds for personal use, including vacations and purchasing a personal vehicle.

According to the prosecutors on the case, they have proof that Solomon embezzled over $500,000 from the organization. It included a range of donations, including one Ayesha and Stephen Curry made in 2019 through the Ellen DeGeneres Show. The power couple donated $50,000 to aid East Oakland Boxing Club’s efforts to create a safe space for the youth.

After admitting to being guilty, Howard Solomon has vowed to make repairing effort. Mercury News reported that the former executive director has agreed to pay restitution to the boxing club, which helps build physical and mental awareness for children between the ages of 4-20. Solomon was also charged with tax fraud, to which he also agreed to reimburse the IRS.

It is sad to see the Curry’s hefty investment being misutilized. However, in terms of his plans beyond basketball, luck hasn’t favored Stephen Curry.

Stephen Curry can’t catch a break

In 2018, Curry began Thirty Ink, a house that hosts all of his businesses and other endeavors. His dream was with this project was the belief to “believe in something bigger than yourself,”. The place that allowed him to make it a reality was San Francisco. After flourishing into an NBA icon, he has always spoken about wanting to give back to the city.

Stephen Curry has already contributed in a variety of ways. But he wanted to do something big. That’s when the idea of the Thirty Ink HQ came to his mind. The blueprint included building a five-story building that would host offices, art spaces, and more. However, as his dream was about to usher, it collapsed.

The property that would be at 600 20th St fell into the dispute with the Nor Cal Carpenter Union. According to reports, the union insisted that the company utilise a fully unionized workforce to build the project. However, Thirty Ink proposed a 40% share, although they wanted to privately finance the project.

Nor Cal Carpenter Union offered no wiggle room whatsoever. Hence, the project fell to pieces. Several city leaders tried to push for a settlement. Sadly, nothing came of it. The final straw was a protest outside the site. It angered the Thirty Ink representatives who blamed Jacob Adiarte, director of organizing for the carpenters’ union for ‘overseeing’ the pressure campaign.

Likewise, according to Dogpatch Business Association’s Adam Gould, “The rejection of [Thirty Ink’s] offer has not only led to the loss of a high-profile project but also perpetuates the perception that San Francisco is inhospitable to business investment,”.

So far, there has been no update on whether the project will ever go through. But looking at the city’s reactions, it seems they are desperately trying to reintroduce the project.