Shohei Ohtani and agent accused of derailing $240 million Hawaii real estate project

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being sued in Hawaii Circuit Court by a real estate investor and broker who allege they were wrongfully removed from a $240 million luxury development on the Big Island.

Developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto claim Ohtani and Balelo used their influence to pressure Kingsbarn Realty Capital into cutting them out of a long-planned residential project on the Hapuna Coast.

According to the complaint filed this month, Balelo demanded increasing control over the project and orchestrated a “coordinated ambush” to eliminate Hayes and Matsumoto after more than a decade of their involvement. The lawsuit accuses Ohtani and Balelo of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, asserting the pair leveraged Ohtani’s celebrity appeal to secure exclusive marketing rights. The plaintiffs say they lost access to significant profits, sales commissions and management fees, with individual homes expected to sell for about $17.3 million.

Kingsbarn called the claims “completely frivolous and without merit” and said it takes full responsibility for Hayes’s removal and Matsumoto’s dismissal as broker. CAA Baseball, Balelo’s agency, declined to comment. Ohtani has not issued a public statement and remains focused on his playing career.

The legal action follows a separate controversy last year involving Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in connection with the theft of nearly $16.5 million from Ohtani’s account to cover gambling debts. Mizuhara was sentenced to over five years in federal prison.