Case Intel
- Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faces allegations of stalking, digital surveillance, and emotional abuse from ex-mistress Michelle Ritter in Los Angeles County Superior Court
- The 31-year-old Columbia Law graduate claims the 70-year-old billionaire worth $44.8 billion deployed his tech expertise to monitor her communications and lock her out of a $100 million AI startup
- After an initial December settlement, Ritter filed and later withdrew a domestic violence restraining order, with a court hearing scheduled for December 2024
LOS ANGELES, CA – When you’re one of the world’s richest tech moguls, breaking up apparently means never having to stop watching. At least that’s what Michelle Ritter alleges in a jaw-dropping lawsuit against Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO who helped build Silicon Valley’s most powerful surveillance machine—and then allegedly turned it on his ex-girlfriend.
The 39-year age gap wasn’t the only imbalance in this relationship. According to court filings, Schmidt used his vast resources and technical chops to create what Ritter describes as an “absolute digital surveillance system” that made private phone calls or emails impossible without his oversight.
“Please note Eric’s technical background,” the complaint reads. “I literally cannot have a private phone call or send a private email without surveillance.”
The drama centers on more than just a messy breakup. Ritter, a Columbia Law School graduate who met Schmidt in 2020 while still a student, served as founder and CEO of Steel Perlot, an AI-focused venture into which Schmidt reportedly pumped $100 million. But when the relationship soured amid disputes over money and access to a lavish Bel Air mansion, Schmidt allegedly locked her out of the company’s website entirely—despite her role as its chief executive.
