Who is david gentile and what is his professional background?

1. The executive at the center: founder and former CEO of GPB Capital

Multiple outlets identify Gentile as the founder and former CEO of GPB Capital Holdings, the private‑equity firm prosecutors said was built on “a foundation of lies,” and as a private‑equity executive who ran investment programs marketed to thousands of individual investors ^{[1] [2] [6]}.

2. The charges and the government’s account of the scheme

Federal prosecutors and reporting say Gentile and co‑defendant Jeffry Schneider were convicted of securities and wire fraud after a trial that concluded last year; the government alleged the pair raised roughly $1.6 billion from investors, paid distributions from investor capital, and used funds for personal and corporate expenses that masked poor operating returns ^{[7] [8] [1]}.

3. Specific allegations about use of funds and investor harm

Regulatory and reporting excerpts list specific contested uses of investor money cited by prosecutors and state regulators: private‑jet costs (including a $90,000‑a‑year flight attendant), all‑terrain vehicle rentals, a $355,000 2015 Ferrari used by Gentile, and line items described as personal events—examples prosecutors flagged in complaints and court filings ^{[2] [1]}.

4. Conviction, sentence, and the clemency action

Gentile was convicted in August 2024 and sentenced in May 2025 to seven years in prison; he reported to prison on Nov. 14, 2025, and was released days later after President Trump commuted his sentence—Trump’s move left the conviction intact but ended the custodial term ^{[3] [7] [8]}.

5. How sources portray Gentile’s professional résumé

Business‑profile material and biographical listings say Gentile led GPB’s strategy and investment committee, previously spent about 25 years in corporate advisory and accounting at Gentile Pismeny & Brengel (GP&B), and holds a Bachelor’s in Finance and Accounting from Queens College—descriptions typical of a dealmaker turned fund manager ^{[5] [4]}.

6. Scale of alleged investor impact and public reaction

Reporting cites prosecutors’ statements that more than 10,000 investors were affected, including small business owners, veterans, teachers and nurses, and highlights victim testimony of substantial losses; civil and criminal coverage has tracked public outrage and political debate after the commutation ^{[1] [7] [9]}.

7. Competing narratives and the White House response

After the commutation, a White House official disputed the Biden‑era Justice Department’s characterization of the enterprise as a Ponzi scheme, saying GPB had “explicitly told investors what would happen,” while prosecutors and sentencing statements emphasized deception—those competing framings appear across Reuters and other outlets ^{[8] [3]}.

8. Remaining legal and reputational consequences

News outlets note that commuting a sentence does not erase the underlying convictions or necessarily remove civil penalties; the commutation ended imprisonment but did not automatically vacate the criminal record—reporting emphasizes that the conviction remains part of Gentile’s legal history ^{[3] [9]}.

Limitations and caveats: available sources in this set describe Gentile’s role at GPB, the allegations, conviction, sentence, commutation and select biographical details; they do not provide his complete CV, licensing history, personal statement, nor detailed civil‑case outcomes such as asset recoveries—those items are not found in current reporting provided here ^{[5] [4]}.