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Another highly value startup has just been add to the mix in theongoing legal drama between Rippling and Deel : U.K. fintech behemoth Revolut .
In his blockbuster affidavit thatreads like it ’s straight out of a moving-picture show , Irish Rippling employee Keith O’Brien claimed that Deel paid him about $ 6,000 a month to spy on Rippling . He aver the first $ 6,000 payment was send to his Revolut account by Alba Basha Westgarth , the wife of Deel ’s COO Dan Westgarth , back in November 2024 .
At the time , Alba Basha Westgarth was working as the crypto complaisance lead at Robinhood , fit in to a LinkedIn profile reviewed by TechCrunch that has since been deleted . Robinhood tell TechCrunch that she left Robinhood earlier this yr , but did not explain why .
The delete LinkedIn profile listed her location as Dubai — that ’s the same place whereDeel ’s CEO and legal director are now locatedasRippling tries to serve them papers . The UAE has a repute as an extradition haven .
Rippling is now action Revolut to get the full name and address of the “ Alba Basha ” listed as the sender on that $ 6,000 receipt , motor lodge criminal record show . Rippling is also seeking all score opening certification — things like id and public utility company bills — to definitively affirm her identity element .
In response , Revolut has hired a top lawyer in Ireland . It also transmit a missive responding to Rippling last calendar week , which a lawyer for ripple described as “ helpful but complicated ” in a Margaret Court earreach ( without enlarge . )
To be absolved , there ’s no indicant or accusation that Revolut has done anything ill-timed here . The E.U. has nonindulgent privacy laws , so supplying that kind of information is n’t round-eyed , specially in a polite case like this one . A primal sticking point is that there has n’t been an order from the Irish court itself on Revolut to provide the entropy .
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Revolut declined to comment specifically on the case but told TechCrunch that , in general , it will “ always comply with any court lodge request for revelation . ”
Whether Revolut ends up providing more particular about the “ Alba Basha ” behind the transference remains to be get a line . The only other choice under European privacy law would be client consent , which seems improbable in this case .
Deel , which hasdenied all wrongful conduct to the media , did n’t answer to a asking for commentary . Deel COO Dan Westgarth and Alba Basha Westgarth did n’t respond either . wavelet declined to notice .
Although the evidence is n’t yet classic , the Irish High Court gave a clue that it may honor Rippling ’s wishes to swear Alba Basha ’s identity in some agency or form .
After a attorney for Rippling rattled off evidence connecting Alba Basha to Dan Westgarth , including a Facebook picture of the two together , during an April 2 tribunal hearing , Judge Mark Sanfey remarked that “ it could be a coincidence , but it ’s unlikely ! ”
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