That lady who purchased defunct WOW Air? Well, she allegedly did an interview in a $30 million house that didn’t belong to her (all while claiming it did), and is also allegedly one of the people behind an election fraud conspiracy theory. I’m sorry, but this is one of the wildest airline industry stories ever, and I feel like we need a documentary about this, or something.
In this post:
The quirky entrepreneur who purchased WOW Air
Icelandic low cost carrier WOW Air ceased operations in March 2019. A few months later, some American investors purchased WOW Air’s assets. The most prominent person behind this was Michele Ballarin (who also sometimes goes by Michele Lyn Golden, or Michele Roosevelt Edwards). I’ll just call her Michele going forward, since she doesn’t otherwise seem to have one consistent identity.
While Michele is probably most well known for negotiating with Somali pirates, she’s also a real estate agent, and one of the owners of USAerospace, which offers “solutions in the aviation industry.”
Everything about her plan to relaunch WOW Air was bizarre. For one, she recognized the original WOW Air’s business model didn’t work, but had plans to make changes that would make the airline sustainable. How? By investing in the passenger experience (as ultra low cost carriers do), including:
- Having a lounge for all passengers
- Working with a Michelin chef to bring better nutrition to planes
- Having biometric boarding
Over two years after WOW Air went out of business, WOW Air still hasn’t relaunched. However, all kinds of new concepts have been thrown around by the company’s owners, including starting operations as a West Virginia cargo airline, opening a cafe in Washington, and launching a subsidiary in Italy.
One would assume the whole thing is a joke or scam, if it weren’t for money having actually been spent to purchase WOW Air’s assets. Well, this story just got even stranger.
WOW Air owner faked living in $30 million house
Earlier this year, Michele did an interview with Icelandic media about WOW Air, and she even invited the crew to (what she claimed was) her $30 million home.
The mansion in question is in the North Wales farm in Warrenton, Virginia. She had been questioned at the time about the lack of personal items in the house, and how the house was still listed as being for sale. She claimed that the property was a recent acquisition, and that it was not for sale.
Well, it’s now being confirmed that this wasn’t in fact Michele’s home, but rather it belongs to an estate that’s owned by a company belonging to the late David B. Ford, who passed away last September. His widow was asked if she knew Michele, and she said she didn’t.
As a matter of fact, the widow was shocked to see the footage of Michele in her home, and wondered how she got in there. While that mystery hasn’t officially been solved, Michele is a real estate agent who sells homes in the area, which suggests that perhaps that’s how she got access to the house.
When Michele was confronted about this lie, she stated she’s not giving any media interviews at this time. Unfortunately this is arguably the less troubling of the two things that have come out about Michele.
WOW Air owner involved in ItalyGate election conspiracy theory
There have been all kinds of conspiracy theories about fraud in the 2020 election, and one of those is known as ItalyGate. According to this conspiracy theory, an Italian defense contractor teamed up with the United States Embassy in Rome to use satellite transmissions to change millions of Trump votes to Biden, thus stealing the election. This was something that was taken seriously (by some) at the time, and Trump had even asked the Department of Justice to investigate this.
One of the companies behind this conspiracy theory was the Institute for Good Governance, which is… also owned by Michele. The Institute for Good Governance had apparently done an investigation into this fraud, which “yielded the long-awaited proof that a flawless plot to take down America was executed with extraordinary resources and global involvement.” Of course conveniently the “proof” hasn’t actually been released.
I mean, this is just… wow. Also, now I can’t help but wonder if WOW Air Italy had something to do with this conspiracy theory? In early 2020 plans for WOW Air Italy were revealed, yet nothing actually came of that airline. Is it a coincidence that WOW Air set up “offices” in Italy ahead of the election, and the only thing to come from WOW Air’s owners in Italy is an election conspiracy theory?
Bottom line
There have been a lot of questions about the legitimacy of the reincarnation of WOW Air, and I think we now have all the answers we need. WOW Air’s founder did an interview in a $30 million mansion that she claimed was her own, when it in fact wasn’t. And on top of that, the founder’s other business is peddling election conspiracy theories.
I still can’t actually figure out Michele’s angle with buying WOW Air’s assets. It doesn’t seem like this is a genuine effort at launching an airline, but what exactly was the motive for buying the carrier’s assets? Is this all a scam, is there some sort of mental illness here, is she just a pathological liar, or…?
Wild, wild, wild…
Someone as shady as Michelle Whatever-Her-Name is a danger to the public. First there's the mansion lies and her aliases. But more scary are the myriad paranoid conspiracy theories she and other Trump cult members buy into for their online fantasy existence. They will try anything and push anything if they think it will stick, to the detriment of democracy and truth.
No sane person would ever get near an airline she has a hand...
Someone as shady as Michelle Whatever-Her-Name is a danger to the public. First there's the mansion lies and her aliases. But more scary are the myriad paranoid conspiracy theories she and other Trump cult members buy into for their online fantasy existence. They will try anything and push anything if they think it will stick, to the detriment of democracy and truth.
No sane person would ever get near an airline she has a hand in. You couldn't give me free tickets for an airline Michelle is involved in.
FYI, WOW Air just applied for an Icelandic operating license, even as PLAY flew their first flight today...
https://www.icelandreview.com/travel/wow-applies-for-air-operating-licence/
https://grapevine.is/news/2021/06/23/wow-air-applies-for-operating-license/
It remains to be seen how seriously we should take this most recent attempt to restart operations. WOW Air certainly doesn't seem to take PLAY very seriously.
One runs an organization named "USAerospace," talks about fantastic "satellite" capabilities yet could probably only lay claim to some obscure land-based assets definitely needed some air-based property support—hence puts money into and acquires a defunct airline company because it was easy target (perhaps) so that if push comes to shove (read: federal investigation? answering to investigative journalists?) there's something to show for.
An absolute wild ride. A real-life plot that's outdone the movies.
Excellent...
One runs an organization named "USAerospace," talks about fantastic "satellite" capabilities yet could probably only lay claim to some obscure land-based assets definitely needed some air-based property support—hence puts money into and acquires a defunct airline company because it was easy target (perhaps) so that if push comes to shove (read: federal investigation? answering to investigative journalists?) there's something to show for.
An absolute wild ride. A real-life plot that's outdone the movies.
Excellent job, America! The world is watching you unfold in real time.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2449177/Michele-Ballarin-claims-key-Somalias-prosperity.html
I would be pissed off if an estate agent used my property in that way without permission. I mean, you are not generally allowing them complete limitless access to your home, but only what would contribute to selling the house. Not only was this not that, but she was, to media, claiming the house had been sold and is no longer on the market. I question whether this would be considered illegal. And if it...
I would be pissed off if an estate agent used my property in that way without permission. I mean, you are not generally allowing them complete limitless access to your home, but only what would contribute to selling the house. Not only was this not that, but she was, to media, claiming the house had been sold and is no longer on the market. I question whether this would be considered illegal. And if it is not, it should be. This would be like the estate agent throwing a party in your house when you are away.
According to her Wikipedia entry USAerospace announced plans plast year to buy Alitalia. What a strange story, and what a peculiar character.
Well AVATAR couldnt go on for ever so we now have worthy successor.
But now we have crypto and meme stocks. They are much better scams. This story doesn't even deserve coverage
Let's just all be happy that HER FIRST VICTIM was, THE SOMALI PIRATES.
She probably offered them for the hostages with Snake oil which would make the pirate boats go much faster.
For the stupid claims of satellites can change election results, how can radio signals possibly do that is beyond me. I'm sure if it 'really happened', it would be the other way around. Biden is a dinosaur, his greatest technology is Amtrak. And...
Let's just all be happy that HER FIRST VICTIM was, THE SOMALI PIRATES.
She probably offered them for the hostages with Snake oil which would make the pirate boats go much faster.
For the stupid claims of satellites can change election results, how can radio signals possibly do that is beyond me. I'm sure if it 'really happened', it would be the other way around. Biden is a dinosaur, his greatest technology is Amtrak. And satellites are just radio signals, much cheaper if you beam it from your backyard. You don't have to go all the way to Italy to do that.
Bigger dinosaur: Trump. "Coal will make a comeback." "I will never let the US oil and gas industry down". Let's look backwards.
Taking Acela is far more admirable for a 100 mile trip than Trump's choice: revving up his 757 (old, passe and fuel inefficient). I'd wager you've never been on Acela.
And it's not Biden's fault that U.S. rail service is a toilet while bullet trains zip @ 350 kph in other countries...
Bigger dinosaur: Trump. "Coal will make a comeback." "I will never let the US oil and gas industry down". Let's look backwards.
Taking Acela is far more admirable for a 100 mile trip than Trump's choice: revving up his 757 (old, passe and fuel inefficient). I'd wager you've never been on Acela.
And it's not Biden's fault that U.S. rail service is a toilet while bullet trains zip @ 350 kph in other countries and impressively cut travel time city center to city center.
Sounds like she took a page from Air Baltia’s playbook and bumped it up to a new level of crazy.
Definitely a con artist - but one sadly w/money and reach who cons more gullible types into believing The Big Lie, and also thinking their Orange Messiah is going to magically re-take office in August.
It's almost as if Trump didn't surround himself with "the best people."
Did WOW Air receive any US airline stimulus money?
If I had to guess she was probably playing the odds at getting federal bailout money had a second Trump term come to be, and would have absconded with the money
Just when I thought it might be safe to come out of my cave. I'm buying some toilet paper, some vodka, and going back to the cave. I might never come out now.
She is well known in the DMV for being a complete whack job. I spend a lot of time in West Virginia as well kayaking rivers there and she is also a legend, for being completely off her rocker. The fact that Trump actually fell for her idiocy says a lot as even West Virginians laugh at her.
We live in a golden age of grifters