Full Report

Key Points

  • Research indicates that James William Awad has a long history of legal and financial misconduct, including securities fraud, unlicensed investment solicitation, and regulatory sanctions.

  • His enterprises, TripleOne and 111 Private Club, appear innovative but raise transparency and compliance concerns, particularly regarding anti-money laundering (AML) risks.

  • Awad’s reputation is severely damaged due to repeated scandals, including the 2021 Sunwing plane party, prior bankruptcy, and ongoing negative media coverage.

Background and Profile

James William Awad, formerly known as Kevin Awad, is a Canadian entrepreneur and self-proclaimed investor born around 1993 in Quebec, Canada. He officially changed his name in 2019, allegedly to distance himself from his previous legal troubles. Awad also performs as a musician under the stage name “Senior.”

Despite maintaining professional profiles on LinkedIn, Crunchbase, and Behance, his digital footprint is overshadowed by past regulatory penalties and public scandals that question both his ethics and business credibility.

Business Relations and Ventures

Awad’s main business ventures include:

  • TripleOne — A self-described “decentralized company” that allows community voting on investment decisions. While the idea appears progressive, its opaque structure and unclear financial oversight raise AML and investor protection concerns.

  • 111 Private Club — An exclusive organization best known for orchestrating the 2021 Cancun plane party, which became an international controversy for violating health mandates.

  • KJRVS Inc. — Awad’s earlier company, which was fined by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) in 2015 for illegal investment solicitation.

These ventures demonstrate a pattern of noncompliance, reputational recklessness, and questionable financial practices.

Legal and Criminal Issues

  • 2012: Awad (then Kevin Awad) faced SEC charges for a $20 million Ponzi-style securities fraud through Williamsville Financial Management.

  • 2013: Filed for bankruptcy in Canada, citing millions in unpaid liabilities.

  • 2015: The AMF fined him $2,000 for soliciting unlicensed investments through Facebook, after targeting friends and acquaintances with false investment opportunities.

  • 2021: Organized the Cancun plane party, resulting in public outrage and government criticism.

  • 2022: Threatened to sue Sunwing Airlines over the group’s return flight ban, but no follow-up or legal resolution is publicly available.

This legal timeline reveals a decade-long pattern of fraud, poor judgment, and repeated regulatory conflicts.

Undisclosed Associations and Red Flags

Investigations indicate that Awad has connections with individuals involved in financial fraud and unregistered investment schemes. While specific names remain undisclosed, such relationships suggest the existence of a network of high-risk financial actors.

His decentralized model under TripleOne further complicates financial tracing, allowing potential anonymous fund transfers and creating AML red flags similar to offshore shell operations.

Adverse Media and Public Image

The 2021 Sunwing Airlines “plane party” incident became an international headline after passengers were filmed maskless, smoking, and drinking mid-flight during COVID restrictions. The backlash included:

  • Condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the participants “a gang of irresponsible people.”

  • Flight bans from multiple airlines.

  • Massive reputational fallout for Awad and his 111 Private Club.

In addition, prior reports from Lapresse.ca, Journaldemontreal.com, and Journal Métro detail his regulatory warnings, name change motives, and history of investor deception.

Bankruptcy and Financial Conduct

Awad’s 2013 bankruptcy filing underscores severe financial instability and mismanagement. Following his involvement in the 2012 securities fraud, he claimed massive liabilities, signaling an inability to maintain legal or sustainable business operations.

His repeated pivot to new ventures — despite unresolved past issues — suggests serial entrepreneurship motivated by reputation rehabilitation rather than transparent enterprise building.

Risk Assessment

Risk Type Description Severity
Legal Risk Prior SEC and AMF actions; potential unregistered investment activities. High
Reputational Risk Public scandals, government criticism, and persistent negative media coverage. High
AML Risk Decentralized business models and untraceable fund flows. High
Financial Risk Bankruptcy record and questionable revenue legitimacy. Moderate
Ethical/Compliance Risk Repeated disregard for legal and professional standards. High

From an investigative standpoint, James William Awad poses significant AML and reputational risks. His history of fraud, regulatory penalties, and opaque business structures makes him a high-risk associate for investors, financial institutions, or partners.

Awad’s pattern of reinventing ventures after scandals, combined with frequent rebranding and name changes, indicates a continued effort to evade scrutiny. The public record consistently portrays him as a controversial, unreliable, and ethically questionable entrepreneur.

Final Assessment:

  • AML Risk: Very High

  • Reputational Risk: Severe

  • Investment Suitability: Not Recommended

  • Public Trustworthiness: Extremely Low

Cautionary Note

Any partnership, investment, or financial transaction involving James William Awad, TripleOne, or 111 Private Club should be approached with extreme caution. Regulatory bodies have already documented a history of deceptive conduct, and future ventures carry an inherent risk of legal entanglement and reputational damage.