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Financially-strapped real estate developer Mohamed Hadid — the celebrity dad of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid — claimed he’s the “victim” of a predatory lender after filing for bankruptcy over a prized California property, The Post has learned.

Hadid, who made cameo appearances on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” when it featured his ex-wife Yolanda Hadid, has been locked in a nasty legal battle with real estate mogul Zach Vella — a fellow reality TV alum of Bravos Million Dollar Listing.”

Their knock-down, drag-out dispute stems from a $31 million loan Vella’s company Skylark Capital gave Hadid’s Tree Lane LLC in 2018 to develop a four-acre lot in an exclusive Beverly Hills enclave that counts Hollywood stars Ashton Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, as residents.

Last month, the 74-year-old Hadid — a Palestinian born in the Israeli city of Nazareth and an outspoken critic of the Jewish state — pushed the property into bankruptcy. It’s the fifth such filing in less than five years in Los Angeles to prevent a land grab by Vella, he told The Post in an exclusive interview.

I believe I was a victim and now I have to fight my fight, Hadid said.

They gave us enough money to hang ourselves and then they stopped funding.

Vella, Skylark and its attorney Matthew Lewis did not return repeated calls and emails for comment. 

Vella, who has developed properties in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles, is far from media shy. His 2015 wedding to jewelry designer Michelle Campbell took place at Ashford Castle in Ireland was featured in Wedding Style magazine.

In 2022, he sued Hadid over the pricey plot in Bella Vista Estates at 2451 Summitridge Drive, located next to gated homes that boast expansive living space, gourmet kitchens, and lavish amenities such as custom movie theatres, game rooms, wine cellars, according to real estate firm  RubyHome.

A rendering for the 30,000-square-foot property supplied by Hadid to The Post shows he planned to build a four-level mansion with floor-to-ceiling windows, featuring infinity pools that overlook a private tennis court. The plans also include a spa, home theater and an eight-car garage with a car lift.

However, it remains undeveloped six years after Skylark signed the loan agreement as Hadid suffered several financial setbacks — including a $100 million debacle over a Bel-Air mansion, nicknamed Starship Enterprise, that a judge ordered him to tear down in 2019 before it was completed.

Vella’s lawsuit has accused Hadid of “outright theft” and of being a “fraud.”

It was and is very important to Hadid that he present himself as a wealthy and successful real estate developer and to appear in the public eye as such, Skylark alleged in the lawsuit.

Hadid regularly patronizes well known Beverly Hills restaurants, sitting in a place easily publicly observable and photographable, and surrounds himself with young women whose ages approximate those of his daughters, the complaint said.

Hadid sought bankruptcy protection on April 26 the same day a court hearing was scheduled to appoint an independent receiver for the Summitridge property. 

In a legal filing ahead of a May 29 court hearing, Hadid asked the judge to approve an emergency loan for $7.7 million from a new lender — 364 Capital LLC — who will finance emergency repairs to the property as he vets other lenders to help him finish the project.

Once the property is fully developed it will be worth up to $85 million and the sale will make everyone whole, Hadid claimed in the filing.

The judge has yet to rule on Hadid’s request.

Hadid and Vella’s complicated history began with a meeting initiated by Vella in 2018, Hadid told The Post, at a time when he was desperate for funding to start work on an even more expensive Beverly Hills development at nearby 9650 Cedarbrook Drive.

The two discussed a deal while walking around the 37-acre site, which was later listed at $250 million but was knocked down to just $68 million last September.

According to renderings, the Cedarbrook compound would include a 78,000 square-foot main house with 19 bedrooms, a 36-person home theater, a Turkish bath, a wine cellar with a tasting room, a hot yoga room, staff quarters and a car collectors garage, along with a guest house.

We met across from the Beverly Hills hotel and [Vella] said, lets go to the property Hadid told The Post. 

Vella said I have a lot of money that I want to invest and I said thats music to my ears.’

Shortly after the fateful tour, Vella formed Skylark and drew up two loan commitments, according to court records. Skylark agreed to $92.7 million loan for Cedarbrook for Hadid-owned Treetop Development and $31 million for Summitridge to Tree Lane, according to Hadid and court records. 

But their relationship soon soured. Hadid alleges that Vella approached Kutcher and Kunis with a secret deal to develop the Summitridge parcel shortly after the loan closed.

Vella bought land below and adjacent to Hadids property to build a separate home and then transferred one acre of Summitridges land to his own property, Hadid claimed in court filings.

Hadid said Vella led him to believe that the one-acre parcel would be part of a subdivision that the two would develop together, increasing the value of the entire project, according to court documents.

Instead, Vella reached out to two neighbors who had certain easement rights and offered to partner with the neighbors to take over and develop” the property, Hadid alleged in the complaint a couple of years ago.

Those neighbors were Kutcher and Kunis, more recent court filings reveal.

The Post reached out to the couple for comment, but a representative did not return a call and email.

A distressed asset expert said Vellas alleged move could raise eyebrows in court.

A judge might see that as strange, Adam Stein-Sapir told The Post

 Its not typical lender behavior and it could sound like a lender with ulterior motives.

Hadid said he has only received $21.4 million of the $31 million loan, according to court filings. Of that amount, more than $13 million went toward fees and paying off Hadids debts, court records show.

He claimed in court filings that Skylarks goal all along was to force him into foreclosure in a loan-to-own scheme by not disbursing funds to Tree Lane in a timely manner.  

I was too anxious to get these projects going [and] didnt really ask where he was getting money from, Hadid told The Post. 

He was trying to take advantage of my demise, Hadid said of Vella.

The Cedarbrook property has also languished with excavations made for the foundations. Vella sued Hadid for defaulting on the loan on Cedarbrook in 2021, leading Hadid to file for bankruptcy protection on that property in 2022.

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The two settled that legal dispute on April 4 to expedite a sale of Cedarbrook, but the bankruptcy case is still pending.

Hadid pushed another property into bankruptcy in 2019 after the Bel-Air disaster.

The monstrous mansionat 901 Strada Vecchia Road was deemed a clear and present danger to the homes below it because Hadid violated building codes.

He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years probation.

His other bankruptcy filings were in 2021 over projects near Santa Monica, Calif.

The five bankruptcies in such a short span of time is hard to reconcile, no matter the circumstances, experts said.

One o the jobs of a developer is picking lenders and contractors, Stein-Sapir said. In this situation, Vella didnt turn out to be a good lender for him and whether Vella screwed him or not, Hadid did sign on the dotted line.

Hadid made headlines in April for a homophobic rant aimed at Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) over his support of Israel. 

You worse than the rats of New York sewage system. They have bigger brains than you. You might get a job as bouncer at gay bar, Hadid wrote.

He later apologized. 

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Ozzy Osbourne dies just weeks after farewell show

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Ozzy Osbourne dies just weeks after farewell show

Heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne has died aged 76, just weeks after reuniting with his Black Sabbath bandmates and performing a huge farewell concert for fans.

In a statement, his family said: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”

Ozzy Osbourne with his wife Sharon and two of their children Kelly and Jack in September 2015. Pic: AP
Image:
Ozzy Osbourne with his wife Sharon and two of their children Kelly and Jack in 2015. Pic: AP

Latest: Tributes paid to Ozzy Osbourne

As he performed from a throne on stage at Villa Park less than three weeks ago, Osbourne told 42,000 fans: “You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

It was a gig put together with performances from some of his favourite acts, including Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, for the star’s “final bow”.

Osbourne and his fellow original Black Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward – reunited for the first time in 20 years and were the last to appear on stage for the Back To The Beginning concert on 5 July.

Following his death, Metallica posted a photo on X of the band with Osbourne, along with a broken heart emoji.

Ronnie Wood, of The Rolling Stones, wrote: “I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne. What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.”

Black Sabbath’s account on X posted a photo of Osbourne from the gig with the caption: “Ozzy Forever!”

And Ali Campbell, singer with Birmingham band UB40, wrote: “Rest In Peace Ozzy. The Prince of Darkness. A true Birmingham legend. The undisputed king of heavy metal. You didn’t just shape a culture, you defined it. You led from the front and never looked back. My thoughts are with Sharon and the entire Osbourne family during this time.”

Ozzy Osbourne in Los Angeles in December 1981. Pic: AP
Image:
Ozzy Osbourne in Los Angeles in December 1981. Pic: AP

Sir Elton John described his “dear friend” as a “huge trailblazer” who “secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods”.

“He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” the singer also wrote on Instagram.

Born John Michael Osbourne on 3 December 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, he became known as the godfather of heavy metal.

The self-styled Prince of Darkness pioneered the music genre with Black Sabbath before going on to have huge success in his own right. He was famous for hits including Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, Crazy Train and Changes, both with the band and as a solo star.

Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut album in 1970 made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of tracks.

(L-R) Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath pose with their award for Best Metal Performance at the 2014 Grammys
Image:
(L-R) Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath pose with their award for best metal performance at the 2014 Grammys. Pic: Reuters

They went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.

The singer also found a different kind of fame thanks to noughties MTV reality show The Osbournes, which followed the Birmingham-raised star’s somewhat chaotic life in Los Angeles with wife Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack.

And he was also known for the famous anecdotes of hellraising during his rock star heyday – most infamously, the tale of how he bit the head off a bat while on stage.

Black Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs.

“We knew we didn’t really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation,” wrote bassist Terry “Geezer” Butler in his memoir Into The Void.

Osbourne re-emerged the next year as a solo artist with his album Blizzard of Ozz. In 1981, he released his second album Diary Of A Madman – both were hard rock classics that went multiplatinum.

Ozzy Osbourne (second from right) with The Blizzard Of Ozz bandmates Rudy Sarzo, Randy Rhoads and Tommy Aldridge in 1981
Image:
Ozzy Osbourne (second from right) with Rudy Sarzo, Randy Rhoads and Tommy Aldridge who played on his Blizzard Of Ozz Tour. Pic: AP

He had Parkinson’s disease and had suffered other health problems in recent years, including complications from injuries sustained in a fall in 2019.

After being forced to cancel tour shows, he made a one-off surprise appearance on stage in Birmingham to close the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The Villa Park gig was announced earlier this year by Sharon, who said he was determined to give fans the “perfect farewell”.

Ozzy wore a shiny black jacket and a gold armband bearing his name. Pic: Ross Halfin
Image:
Ozzy Osbourne performed his farewell concert at Villa Park earlier in July. Pic: Ross Halfin

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During his career, Osbourne was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame and the US Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame – twice for both, with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.

He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame – as well as in Birmingham’s Broad Street – an Ivor Novello, and five Grammy wins from 12 nominations.

Plus, he received other honours such as the NME’s Godlike Genius award, and Classic Rock’s Living Legend prize, over the years.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and their children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack, as well his two older children, Jessica and Louis, from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, and grandchildren.

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Isuzu’s first electric pickup is impressive, but it’s not cheap

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Isuzu's first electric pickup is impressive, but it's not cheap

A fully electric Japanese electric pickup truck? It’s not a Toyota or Honda, but Isuzu’s new electric pickup packs a punch. The D-MAX EV can tow over 7,770 lbs (3,500 kg), plow through nearly 24″ (600 mm) of water, and it even has a dedicated Terrain Mode for extreme off-roading. However, it comes at a cost.

Meet Isuzu’s first electric pickup: The D-MAX EV

After announcing that it had begun building left-hand drive D-MAX EV models at the end of April, Isuzu said that it would start shipping them to Europe in the third quarter.

By the end of the year, Isuzu will begin production of right-hand drive models for the UK. Sales will follow in early 2026.

Isuzu announced prices this week, boasting the D-MAX EV features the same “no compromise durability” of the current diesel version.

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The D-MAX EV pickup features a full-time 4WD system, a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tons (7,700 lbs), and an added Terrain Mode, which Isuzu says is designed for “extreme off-road capability.” With 210 mm (8.3″) of ground clearance, Isuzu’s electric pickup can wade through up to 600 mm (24″) of water.

Powered by a 66.9 kWh battery, Isuzu’s electric pickup offers a WLTP range of 163 miles. With charging speeds of up to 50 kW, the D-MAX EV can recharge from 20% to 80% in about an hour.

The electric version is nearly identical to the current diesel-powered D-Max, both inside and out, but prices will be significantly higher.

Isuzu D-Max EV specs and prices
Drive System Full-time 4×4
Battery Type Lithium-ion
Battery Capacity 66.9 kWh
WLTP driving range 163 miles
Max Output 130 kW (174 hp)
Max Torque 325 Nm
Max Speed Over 130 km/h (+80 mph)
Max Payload 1,000 kg (+2,200 lbs)
Max Towing Capacity 3.5t (+7,700 lbs)
Ground Clearance 210 mm
Wading Depth 600 mm
Starting Price (*Ex. VAT) £59,995 ($81,000)
Isuzu D-Max EV electric pickup prices and specs

Isuzu’s electric pickup will be priced from £59,995 ($81,000), not including VAT. The double cab variant starts at £60,995 ($82,500). In comparison, the diesel model starts at £36,755 ($50,000).

The EV pickup will launch in extended and double cab variants with two premium trims: the eDL40 and V-Cross. Pre-sales will begin later this year with the first UK arrivals scheduled for February 2026. Customer deliveries are set to follow in March.

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AI startups raised $104 billion in first half of year, but exits tell a different story

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AI startups raised 4 billion in first half of year, but exits tell a different story

In this photo illustration, Claude AI logo is seen on a smartphone and Anthropic logo on a pc screen. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

OpenAI and Anthropic continue to lead a fundraising bonanza in artificial intelligence, raising historic rounds and stratospheric valuations.

But when it comes to finding AI exits for venture firms, the market looks a lot different.

AI startups raised $104.3 billion in the U.S. in the first half of this year, nearly matching the $104.4 billion total for 2024, according to PitchBook. Almost two-thirds of all U.S. venture funding went to AI, up from 49% last year, PitchBook said.

The biggest deals follow a familiar theme. OpenAI raised a record $40 billion in March in a round led by SoftBank. Meta poured $14.3 billion into Scale AI in June as part of a way to hire away CEO Alexandr Wang and a few other top staffers. OpenAI rival Anthropic raised $3.5 billion, while Safe Superintelligence, a nascent startup started by OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, raised $2 billion.

While Meta’s massive investment into Scale AI amounted to a lucrative exit of sorts for early investors, the overarching trend has been a lot more money going in than coming out.

In the first half, there were 281 VC-backed exits totaling $36 billion, according to PitchBook. That includes the roughly $700 million acquisition of EvolutionIQ, an AI platform for disability and injury claims management, by CCC Intelligent Solutions, and the public listing of Slide Insurance, which builds AI-powered insurance offerings for homeowners. Slide is valued at about $2.3 billion.

Read more CNBC reporting on AI

“The dominant exit trend right now is frequent but lower-value acquisitions and fewer IPOs with significantly higher value,” said Dimitri Zabelin, PitchBook’s senior research analyst for AI and cybersecurity.

CoreWeave’s IPO, which took place at the very end of the first quarter, was the exception on the infrastructure side. The stock shot up 340% in the second quarter, and the company is now valued at over $63 billion.

Zabelin said the pattern of more investments in applications with smaller deals has been in place for the past year.

“Vertical solutions tend to plug more easily into existing enterprise gaps,” Zabelin said.

The acquisitions wave is being driven, in part, by what Zabelin calls bolt-on deals where larger companies buy smaller startups to enhance their own future valuations, hoping to enhance their value ahead of a future sale or IPO.

“That also has to do with the current liquidity conditions in the macro environment,” Zabelin said.

Outside of AI, activity is slow. U.S. fintech funding dropped 42% in the first half of the year to $10.5 billion, according to Tracxn. Cloud software and crypto have also seen sharp pullbacks.

Zabelin said IPO activity could pick up if economic conditions improve and if interest rates come down. Investors clearly want opportunities to back promising AI companies, he said.

“The appetite for AI, specifically vertical applications, will continue to remain robust,” Zabelin said.

— CNBC’s Kevin Schmidt contributed to this report.

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