MALIBU— Real estate tycoon, Robert Flaxman, has died at age 66 after committing suicide inside his Malibu home on October 20, following a welfare check. The Los Angeles County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s office ruled Flaxman’s death an apparent suicide. Flaxman suffered from a history of depression.
Flaxman along with actresses Lori Laughlin, Felicity Huffman, and dozens of other parents conspired with a Newport Beach consultant, William “Rick” Singer, during the 2019 college admissions scandal. Singer reportedly orchestrated the plan to falsify ACT test scores to get the groups children into the prominent colleges of their choice.
The case went to trial last week and according to an FBI Affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in Boston, Massachusetts, as of February 2021, 9 of the people charged pleaded not guilty and 30 others pleaded guilty as charged for their part in the scandal.
Flaxman pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges for attempting to get his daughter into the University of South California (USC). He was sentenced to one month jail time, two years supervised release, and $50,000 in fines.
During his trial, Flaxman cried and shared his regret with a message to students that read:
“Work hard and don’t cheat, no matter what. The lesson for me is to trust more in them [his children]. Trust they find their own way.” He paid a reported $75,000 to get his daughter into the school of her choice.
In a statement, Flaxman’s attorney, William Weinreb indicated that Flaxman sought to get his daughter into a “lower-tier school,” following years of struggling with her grades and a “checkered disciplinary record.”
No suicide note was left inside the home. He recently sold off some assets including two Beverly Hills homes for $38 million combined. According to his realtors, the two homes sit side-by-side on two acres of property that had the potential to sell for as much as $100 million.
Flaxman sold his properties he initially purchased to develop and moved to a large ranch in Malibu following the scandal.
In an old tweet via @robert_flaxman, the real estate mogul shared his love for family on Valentine’s Day.
“My first tweet. Not sure what to say except happy Sunday and glad to be healthy, in love with my family.”
