‘Saint Seiya’ creator sues former manager over $20M, crypto investments

“Saint Seiya” creator Masami Kurumada has sued his former manager and other defendants for roughly 2.89 billion yen ($19.6 million) after alleging that billions of yen were diverted from his companies over six years, with some of the money believed to have been invested in cryptocurrency. Summary ‘Saint Seiya’ creator Masami Kurumada is seeking roughly 2.89 billion yen in damages from his former manager and other defendants. The former manager is accused of diverting approximately 4.68 billion yen from three companies over about six years. Kurumada’s lawyers said some of the allegedly embezzled funds are believed to have been used for cryptocurrency investments. Roughly 1.8 billion yen has already been repaid, with the lawsuit seeking recovery of the remaining losses. According to the lawsuit filed with the Tokyo District Court on Sept. 2, Kurumada Production and two other companies headed by the 72-year-old manga artist claim they suffered approximately 4.68 billion yen in losses between 2018 and 2024 through unauthorized transfers and diverted licensing payments. The former manager, who served as a director of the three companies, had been entrusted with accounting, editorial wor...