The following is a translation of an article written in Dutch by Dennis van Damme in the Belgian Gazet Van Antwerpen on July 6, 2013.
Who is the mysterious Mister Never Give Up who is planning a show in Antwerp in December? According to him, he is a source of inspiration for everyone who has problems. But according to others he is a seasoned fraud who has swindled many people of their money.
Mister Never Give up is coming to Belgium in December. “He will do a series of shows in Antwerp,” an enthusiastic press release announces. “That these shows will be remarkable, and that a whole lot of special guests can be expected, seems all but assured.”
According to the same press release, Mister Never Give Up is “much more than a motivational speaker, he is the ‘motivational rock star’ of Facebook. A real countryman who has had an international breakthrough.”
According to the same press release, Mister Never Give Up is “much more than a motivational speaker, he is the ‘motivational rock star’ of Facebook. A real countryman who has had an international breakthrough.”
Disco
To be clear, Mister Never Give Up is Alain Horoit. He was born in Berchem, spent a large part of his life in Berchem, and is currently living in Spain. According to him, he was active for many years in the entertainment industry, and among other things, he managed the disco Sotto’s in Zottegem.
“I was on top”, Horoit says in a phone conversation with this paper. I had personnel, I had money, but I also had a lot to lose. A few years ago I went bankrupt. I didn’t see a way out. In those five minutes that I considered giving everything up, Mister Never Give Up was born.”
Mister Never Give Up is, according to Horoit, a sort of mentor to anyone who has fallen on hard times and does not see a way out. He wrote a book about it that was sold through the Internet. Horoit is most active on Facebook. “My page has over 310.000 followers”, he says. “And those aren’t just people who have clicked on ‘Like’. I get emails daily from people who are asking for my help and advice. Those are the people that I do this for.”
Guest speakers
The show in December will be in English. “I tell my story and try to motivate people to never give up. The guest speakers are other motivational speakers who are especially active on Facebook under names such as ‘Inspirational Positive Quotes’ and ‘Lessons Learned in Life’.”
Tickets aren’t cheap: they cost 24.95 or 29.95 euro. About this Horoit is clear: “You cannot expect to pay the price of a cinema ticket for a show that will change your life.”
But Alain Horoit does not remain someone who is not spoken about. Moreover, the more we examine his past, the more people and organizations we encounter who have a bone to pick with the man. “He is a complete swindler,” was the reaction of Michael Freilich of the magazine Joods Actueel. “In 2010 he ordered an advertisement with us, but he never paid.”
Horoit, who is Jewish, needed the ad to promote a gala ball for the Jewish community that he had organized in the Radisson Blu hotel near the Stadspark. The ball would turn out to be a flop. Joods Actueel is one of many parties who were left with a bitter taste after the ball.
Gaining trust
Horoit also placed an ad in the Dutch Jewish magazine Benjamin without paying. Many people who were involved with organizing the party, were presented with bills afterwards for services that Horoit had ordered. Similarly with his former friend Marco Devaux:
“I suddenly received a bill for 25,000 euro for the rent of the party hall and a bunch of hotel rooms in the Hilton Hotel,” Davaux said. “I went into business with him because I knew his whole family and trusted him. We had arranged that he would organize the events and that we would sell tickets through my company, on which I would receive a three per cent commission. We hadn’t written this agreement down. This was stupid of me, but Horoit is very good at gaining people’s trust. His method is simple. He borrows money from one to close the holes at another. In total I have lent him 16,000 euro, money I have never seen again. I did have to pay 1,500 euro in legal fees only to prove that Horoit, not I, had booked the hotel rooms and party hall.”
Not all victims have pressed charges against Horoit. For some the legal fees would be higher than the loss they have suffered. The Dutchman Nathan Bouscher (29) was asked to arrange transportation for several guests from Amsterdam to the gala ball in Antwerp. Also he received a bill from the bus company, while Horoit had promised to pay. “In my case this concerns a bit more than 700 euro,” Bouscher says. “If I were to challenge him in court, I would lose more money.”
Judicial investigation
In Antwerp there is an investigation running against Horoit for suspected fraud and forgery. The man is also known with the courts in Dendermonde and Brussels. With a Dutch musician was in a legal clinch about thousands of euros of royalties. The biggest case file against Horoit is in Germany. A 37-year old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous and with whom Horoit had a relationship, bundled a number of complaints. She claims she has lent him 10,000 euro. Also she never saw her money back. Because Horoit is living in hiding in Spain, the legal proceedings in Germany are currently stuck.
It is also remarkable that the Antwerp cinema complex UGC, where the Mister Never Give Up Show is supposed to take place according to the press release, have never heard of him.
“Jealous stalker”
Horoit himself denies all allegations of fraud. He was still looking for another location for his show. “All those people are talking a lot, but they don’t have any proof. I have never been convicted. I have always been strong enough not to respond to such lies. That woman in Germany is a stalker. She is jealous of my success.”
But several victims, such as Marco Devaux and Nathan Bouscher, are convinced that he is trying swindle people out of money again. “His stage name is very well chosen,” Bouscher bitterly remarks. “He really doesn’t give up.”
