Mario Nawfal
Mario Nawfal | |
|---|---|
| ماريو نوفل | |
| Born | 1988 or 1989 (age 36–37) |
| Citizenship | Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Website | www |
Mario Nawfal (Arabic: ماريو نوفل; born 1988 or 1989[1]) is a Lebanese-Australian[2] entrepreneur, business influencer, podcast host,[3] and political commentator. He is the co-founder of NFT Technologies[4] and the CEO and founder of IBC Group.[5]
Early life and education
Nawfal was born in Lebanon.[6] His family migrated to Australia when he was six years old. Raised in Australia, Nawfal possesses Australian citizenship and a residence permit for the United Arab Emirates.[3][7]
He graduated with a degree in banking and finance from Monash University.
Career
In 2013, Nawfal established Froothie, a kitchen-appliance online store.[8][9][1]
In 2017, Nawfal founded International Blockchain Consulting Group (IBC Group), which sells Nawfal's attention from Elon Musk.[1][3][8] IBC also advertises posts on X by Nawfal and "shout-outs" on The Roundtable.[1] In 2020, he co-founded NFT Tech.[3] In 2021, however, Nawfal resigned from his role as CEO of IBC Group to dedicate his efforts to NFT Technologies.[8] IBC employs about 120 people.[1]
He also runs a media firm called Citizen Journalism Network.[1] The company employs around 80 people, including researchers and ghostwriters.[1]
Nawfal is also the host of a streaming show about cryptocurrency on X, The Roundtable.[3][6][8][1]
Controversies
In 2015, Mario Nawfal was convicted and fined $10,800 by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for "false or misleading presenting" his products at Froothie.[2][10][11]
In 2021, Nawfal faced criticism from Jason Calacanis who compared a group he was part of on the platform Twitter to a cult, which he at the time denied.[3]
In June 2023, several former associates of Nawfal filed a complaint against him, accusing him of embezzling funds. They also suspected him of tax evasion. Federal authorities, particularly the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), took up the case. One of the plaintiffs also claims that International Blockchain Consulting owes him $27,000 in debt. Nawfal denied being involved in illegal activities.[12]
In 2025, Nawfal was accused of promoting Russian and Belarusian states, after his interviews with several controversial political figures, such as Aleksandr Lukashenko and Sergey Lavrov.[9] He has also interviewed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Andrew Tate, Tommy Robinson, and Nick Fuentes.[1]
A New York Times analysis found that across a year throughout most of 2025 on the social networking site X, its owner Elon Musk had shared or re-posted content by Nawfal 1,311 times, more than any other X account.[1] Nawfal does not publicly comment on his relationship with Musk.[1]
The Polish government's institute Naukowa i Akademicka Sieć Komputerowa opened an investigation in early 2025 into Nawfal's links with the Russian government.[1]
In late 2025, additional reporting provided further context regarding several of the allegations involving Nawfal. A New York Times analysis examined criticism surrounding his political interviews and reviewed claims about his relationships on the platform X. The report noted that while Nawfal’s content was frequently amplified by X owner Elon Musk, it did not present evidence supporting accusations that he coordinated with foreign governments.[13] An NPR investigation published the same year also reviewed the allegations and reported that federal inquiries had not produced findings of wrongdoing.[14]
Personal life
Nawfal has a passion for bachata dancing.[1] He has also shared his story and business expertise at platforms like TEDx, Davos and the United Nations General Assembly.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Bensinger, Ken (December 5, 2025). "Elon Musk Loves What This Guy Has to Say". The New York Times.
- ^ a b BARFIELD, Tom. "Mario Nawfal: Online Influencer Dogged By Scandal". barrons. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ a b c d e f "He was Twitter's fastest-rising star. His past is catching up with him". NBC News. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ "NFT Technologies Goes Public on the NEO Exchange". Business Insider. 2022-05-26. Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Wilson, David (2022-11-30). "Exclusive interview: Mario Nawfal founder of IBC Group speaks on entrepreneurship and digital assets". The Technology Express. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ a b "Lukashenko gives interview to U.S. blogger Mario Nawfal". eng.belta.by. 2025-02-27. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ Malik, Matheo (2025-03-01). "Les hommes de Georgescu: enquête sur le changement de régime en Roumanie". Le Grand Continent (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ a b c d Allen, Nancy J. (2024-04-15). "Mario Nawfal: Speaker Coverage". The Coin Republic. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ a b Sainato, Michael (2025-04-10). "Elon Musk boosting influencer who platforms far-right Putin allies". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ^ "Qui est Mario Nawfal, la nouvelle star médiatique des conservateurs ?". Le Point (in French). 2025-03-14. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Qui est Mario Nawfal, passé des cryptomonnaies au "journalisme citoyen" des sphères conservatrices?". BFM BUSINESS (in French). 2025-03-13. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "FBI and SEC respond to complaints about Twitter audio star Mario Nawfal". NBC News. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ^ "Elon Musk and Mario Nawfal: Elon Musk Loves What This Guy Has to Say". The New York Times. 5 December 2025.
- ^ "How Elon Musk's favorite news influencer is capitalizing on his clout". NPR. 17 April 2025.