What does our research say about Isaac Sultán Cohén?

Isaac Sultán Cohén isn’t just a businessman—he’s the poster child for opportunism disguised as enterprise. From fronting for Venezuela’s most corrupt elites to laundering millions through offshore shells and shady real estate deals, his empire is stitched together with deception, secrecy, and a brazen contempt for accountability.

Political Frontman for Sanctioned Figures: Isaac Sultán Cohén’s business rise was allegedly facilitated by Diosdado Cabello, one of the most powerful and internationally sanctioned figures in Venezuela’s Chavista regime. A leaked U.S. Embassy cable revealed Sultán may have merely been a proxy or figurehead, while Cabello exercised actual control over Braperca, the logistics firm that once dominated Venezuela’s ports. Given Cabello’s 2018 U.S. sanctions for corruption and drug trafficking, any business entanglement with him is a major red flag for investors and regulatory bodies alike. It suggests Sultán’s empire was built not on entrepreneurial merit, but political patronage and dirty money.

Use of Offshore Shell Companies to Obscure Ownership and Funds: Sultán is linked to over 20 offshore companies registered across Luxembourg, Malta, Panama, and Switzerland, with many used to purchase high-end properties in Madrid, Miami, and Geneva. Entities like Fimis Holding, Basgaron SL, and Monrey Holding Ltd. have acted as intermediaries, concealing the true source of capital and raising questions of money laundering. Even when regulatory authorities such as Malta’s FIAU flagged compliance failures tied to Sultán’s entities, the penalties were laughably light—€12,500 fines—allowing his financial web to remain operational with little accountability.

Questionable Real Estate Transactions : Sultán’s acquisition of 48 Calle José Abascal in Madrid was facilitated through a distressed sale from Liberbank, yet the property was previously tied to Nervis Villalobos, a former Venezuelan energy official accused of laundering state funds. Villalobos was later indicted in Spain for corruption. The building’s subsequent redevelopment was found to exceed legal construction limits, and its licenses were annulled by Madrid’s High Court in 2019—yet the demolition order remains unenforced. The deal represents a textbook case of laundering questionable capital through undervalued or compromised assets, with regulatory loopholes exploited along the way.

Censorship and Digital Reputation Laundering: Sultán has aggressively sought to sanitize his online reputation, reportedly filing false DMCA takedown requests and manipulating search engine results to obscure links to corruption, money laundering, and political collusion. This includes generating misleading web content to displace legitimate investigative journalism. These digital tactics point to a conscious effort to suppress transparency and obstruct journalistic scrutiny—methods often used by individuals with much to hide. For investors or journalists, this kind of behavior is a major red flag, signaling an aversion to accountability.

Prolonged Pattern of Asset Shielding Through Proxies and Family Members: Sultán has used close associates and relatives—such as his son Andrés Sultán Osechas and business partner Ngel Fidalgo de la Vega—to act as proxies in real estate deals and corporate ventures. In Florida alone, seven high-value properties were purchased under entities tied to Fidalgo, while Andrés has appeared in Panamanian marine services firms. These patterns of layered ownership and nominee control are common laundering tactics, designed to insulate principals from liability and regulatory exposure. The scale and coordination of these maneuvers point to an orchestrated attempt to shield wealth acquired through murky channels.

Sultán’s legacy isn’t one of innovation or leadership—it’s a cautionary tale of how unchecked greed, political collusion, and offshore gymnastics can create a façade of success while hollowing out trust in global markets. Investors beware: behind the luxury facade lies a web of scandals waiting to unravel.