The Associated Press — Zynga, the maker of well loved social networking game “FarmVille,” has hired former MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta as its executive vice president of business operations.Van Natta, also a former chief revenue officer for Facebook, starts Monday. He’ll also have a seat on the board of directors of the quick-growing startup. The board now has five members.Van Natta left MySpace in February after 10 months on the job after conflicting with parent News Corp.’s chief digital officer Jonathan Miller.He joins a privately held company that is seeing explosive growth.According to tracking firm Developer Analytics, Zynga has 367 million users a month on 48 of its applications.Zynga is also responsible for the top three applications on Facebook, “FarmVille,” “FrontierVille,” and “Zynga Poker.”
Posts Tagged ‘Associated Press’
FarmVille maker hires ex-MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta
August 14th, 2010 
Before You Invest 
Posted in Finance Fraud 
Tags: 10 Months, Analytics, Associated Press, Board Of Directors, Business Operations, Ceo, Executive Vice, Explosive Growth, Facebook, Jonathan, Jonathan Miller, Members, Myspace, Networking Game, News Corp, Owen Van Natta, Parent News, Poker, Social Networking, Vice President 
Comments OffHuge payout in Russian tycoon Berezovsky’s divorce
July 23rd, 2010 Before You Invest LONDON — Self-exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky says a London court has granted a preliminary divorce decree from his second wife.The billionaire declined to comment on what the settlement might be. But the British newspaper, The Guardian, says it could be as much as 100 million pounds ($154 million.)Berezovsky told The Associated Press Friday that it was up to the court to choose the payout for Galina Besharova, his wife of 18 years.A Family Court judge in London granted Besharova the initial divorce decree Thursday. The divorce usually becomes final after six weeks.Berezovsky does not intend to contest the divorce request.Forbes magazine once estimated that the former Kremlin insider is worth US$1.1 billion.
Posted in Finance Fraud Tags: 1 Billion, 100 Million, 18 Years, Associated Press, Billionaire, Boris Berezovsky, Divorce Decree, Divorce Magazine, Family Court Judge, Forbes Magazine, Galina, Guardian, Insider, Kremlin, London Court, Russian Tycoon, Second Wife, Six Weeks Comments OffPfizer to pay record $2.3B penalty over promotions
September 2nd, 2009 Before You Invest Why does huge pharma reckon it can get away with bribing doctors to prescribe their drugs? Equally incredible is the doctors who place their hands out to accept the goodies. The American Medical Association and the PhRMA Code of Sale Reps Ethics prohibit such behavior and it’s thriving according to the article below by Devlin Barrett.Repeat offender Pfizer paying record $2.3B settlement for illegal drug promotionsBy Devlin Barrett, Associated Press WriterOn Wednesday September 2, 2009,WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors hit Pfizer Inc.
Posted in Finance Fraud Tags: American Medical Association, Associated Press, Civil Penalties, Criminal Case, Criminal Forfeiture, Drug Manufacturers, Federal Prosecutors, Free Golf, Government Charges, Health And Human Service, Illegal Drug, Junkets, Justice Department Officials, Last Decade, Loucks, Massages, Pfizer, Pfizer Inc, Phrma Code, Repeat Offender No Comments »Fr Francis Guinan, 66, was found guilty of second-degree grand theft of more than $20,000 up to $8m might have disappeared over a period of 20 years
February 24th, 2009 Before You Invest Fr Francis Guinan, 66, was found guilty of second-degree grand theft of more than $20,000 ($13,800) but less than $100,000 (£69,000). Fr Guinan denied the charges, but another accused priest, Fr John Skehan, 81, had abandoned a not guilty plea. Fr Guinan faces up to 15 years in jail and will be sentenced on 25 March.
Posted in Finance Fraud Tags: 5m, Associated Press, Catholic Church, Closing Arguments, Defence Lawyer, Fr Francis, Francis Guinan, Guilt, Guilty Plea, John Skehan, Palm Beach, Parishioners, Priests, Prosecution, Prosecutor, Richard Barlow, Slush Fund, St Vincent Ferrer, Statute Of Limitations, West Palm Beach No Comments »Former Morgan Stanley VP indicted over $2.5m embezzlement
February 21st, 2009 Before You Invest A former vice-president at the Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley has been arrested and charged with embezzling more than $2.5 million from the firm. According to the Associated Press, Richard Garaventa Jr pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court to charges including grand larceny. Prosecutors say Mr Garaventa was authorized to request or approve checks from one of the bank’s in-house accounts to cover certain corporate expenses. Between September 5th 2001 and December 24th 2008, he is alleged to have used this position to authorize the release of over $2.5 million, which he misappropriated to buy luxury items including Mercedes and Lexus cars, jewelry and holidays.
Posted in Finance Fraud Tags: 5 Million, 5m, Associated Press, Corporate Expenses, December 24th, Embezzlement, Former Vice President, Garaventa, Grand Larceny, House Accounts, Innocence, Investment Bank, Lexus, Lexus Cars, Luxury Items, Manhattan Court, Morgan Stanley, Prosecutors, Vp, Wall Street Investment Comments Off
