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Marcus Prinz von Anhalt

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pRINZ fETTSACK VON FOTZENHEIM
Prince Marcus of Anhalt
BornMarcus Frank Adolf Eberhardt
20 December 1966 (1966-12-20) (age 58)
Pforzheim, Germany
IssuePrincess Zsana
Names
Marcus Eberhardt Edward
HouseAnhalt and Hohenzollern
FatherPrince Frédéric, Duke of Saxony and Westphalia
MotherZsa Zsa, Duchess of Saxony and Westphalia
ReligionRoman Catholicism

Prince Marcus of Anhalt (also Marcus Prinz von Anhalt or Prinz Marcus von Anhalt, born Marcus Frank Adolf Eberhardt,[1] 20 December 1966) is a German businessman and nightclub owner, whose luxurious lifestyle results in some coverage in the German yellow press.

Early life and career

Prinz von Anhalt was born Marcus Frank Adolf Eberhardt on 20 December 1966, in Pforzheim, Germany, to a wealthy family. His parents owned a jewelry store, however their business was declared bankrupt and the family lost vast amounts of their wealth.[2] At age 13, Ebonhardt held many jobs, and left school at 16 and became an apprentice butcher. He started a cleaning service, which was a subsidiary for the butcher business, and was receiving a combined income of 6000 Deutschmarks at age 16. He completed another apprenticeship to become a chef, opening several restaurants and starting an interior design business.[2]

Eberhardt further diversified his organisation by opening several table-dance bars and gentleman's clubs in the United States. He later bought several brothels, earning the nickname, "red-light king". After this investment, Eberhardt was charged with money laundering, tax fraud and human trafficking.[3]

He is one of the largest and most visible owners of brothels in Germany, with over twenty brothels and night clubs. He has served four years in prison,[4] for human trafficking and tax evasion.[5] He claims to be a millionaire "in the three digit range", owning about 40 cars, real estate in Los Angeles (a mansion in Bel Air he shares with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt), Fort Lauderdale, Pforzheim, St. Gallen, Dubai and Monaco, and to have 12 bodyguards and 25 servants.[4][5]

Adoption and title

In 2006, he bought his name for several million U.S. dollars by being adopted by Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor, who had himself obtained his name by adoption. He likes to refer to himself as "Prinz Germany". His brothers by adoption include Oliver Prinz von Anhalt, Michael Prinz von Anhalt and Markus Maximilian Prinz von Anhalt, as well as a sister, Francesca Hilton, who is the stepdaughter of his adoptive father and birth daughter of his adoptive mother. The adoption and name change did not confer any actual title or nobility, and instead adopted a pretender claimant title on the German throne. "Prinz von Anhalt" is his surname (literally Prince of Anhalt), rather than a title, as per German laws regarding the country's former nobility. In addition to long-standing conventions prohibiting the transfer of German titles to adopted individuals—except for individuals who are blood relations adopted by another relative—the Anhalt family does not include Marcus Prinz von Anhalt as a member. In 2008, he organized the "Royal Race", a tour of expensive cars and prominent drivers across Europe. Pamela Anderson was his partner at the race.[4] In February 2009 he was seen having lunch with her in Los Angeles. In 2009, when Zsa Zsa Gabor lost a substantial amount of money to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, he helped out with a cheque for $6 million.[6]

Imprisonment

Currently (2014), Marcus von Anhalt has been sentenced to prison again. The judgment is not legally binding yet. He has announced that he plans to appeal.[7][8]

The prison sentence of 4 years was based charges of tax evasion as well as fraud.[1] The prosecution had accused von Anhalt of tax evasion of 1.5 Million Euros.[1] The prosecution had put forward an estimation of monetary damages for the tax authorities by Anhalt of Euro 747,000[1] and another attempt to evade taxes of Euro 820,000.[1] In particular, the prosecution accused von Anhalt that he declared the private usage of his 14[1] luxury cars (all of a value of at least 1 Million Euros[1]) and vacations in Las Vegas as professional and business expenditures towards the tax authorities.[1] Von Anhalt argued that "his glamorous lifestyle" is part of his profession as a "TV star" and that therefore, he merely used his luxury cars for "representational" reasons, stating: "Driving in my Porsche, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce and traveling to a show in Las Vegas occurred for professional reasons only".[1] In addition, von Anhalt attempted to persuade the judge and the prosecution that if he indeed did commit tax evasion, then it must have been unintentional as he did not fully understand the German tax laws at the time concerned, stating: "I know that the German tax laws are extremely complicated and maybe even the most complicated in the world. Some people may be able to understand the German tax laws but he is not one of them; but he knows how to successfully manage a brothel".[1] The prosecution did not believe von Anhalt's explanations and consequently imposed a prison sentence of 4 years. Von Anhalt had declared previously that "he does not see a criminal offense in his case"[1] and that the sums he supposedly evaded from tax authorities are "petty"[1] and "ridiculous"[1] given that "his brothels and disco clubs generate revenues in the two digit million range".[1]

In prison it was discovered that von Anhalt had sent a letter to an acquaintance where he would insult the district attorney who had represented the prosecution in von Anhalts trial.[9] Von Anhalt had stated in the letter that "the district attorney is probably the dumbest district attorney in the world, that he has serious personal issues, that he squints and is poky and he merely is a cheap George Clooney wannabe".[9] Von Anhalt was consequently imposed a fine of 60,000 Euros.[9]

Connections to Hells Angels

Marcus Prinz von Anhalt reportedly has connections to the Hells Angels with whom von Anhalt engaged with in the past as business or security partners for his brothels.[10]

Personal life

Prinz von Anhalt has a daughter, Princess Zsana, named for her adoptive grandmother Zsa Zsa, Duchess of Saxony and Westphalia. Princess Zsana is the heir presumptive.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Süddeutsche Zeitung: Zweiter Akt der Selbstinszenierung".
  2. ^ a b princegermany.com/aboutme/
  3. ^ pricegermany.com/aboutme/
  4. ^ a b c Pamelas Prinz, Der Spiegel, 29 September 2008. Template:De icon
  5. ^ a b Der Bordellkönig besucht sein Reich, Südwest Presse, 19 November 2008. Template:De icon
  6. ^ Sein Adoptivsohn hilft ihm aus der Patsche, Freizeitwoche, 18 February 2009. Template:De icon
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ "′Protz-Prinz′ Marcus von Anhalt muss vier Jahre ins Gefängnis". nordbayern.de (in German). Nürnberger Nachrichten. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  9. ^ a b c "Focus: 60,000 Euro Strafe - Von Anhalt beleidigt Staatsanwalt".
  10. ^ "Augsburger Allgemeine: Der Protz-Prinz und der Höllenengel".

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