Following a business dispute, instead of a legal battle fought in courtrooms, Gaurav Srivastava found himself dragged into a different kind of conflict: a public relations ambush disguised as journalism.

Business Matters gives a comprehensive overview of the campaign targeting Gaurav Srivastava, and the ramifications for his personal, business and family life.

Read about how a scandal is manufactured from zero to the WSJ and FT

In the second part of my interview on Targeted, I share what it was like to wake up one morning to a tsunami of fake news stories, AI generated YouTube news reports villifying me, a Wikipedia attack page, phone calls and emails going out to any and everyone who has ever been in my orbit (including the parents of my childrens school) warning them to stay away from me.

In the fourth episode of Targeted, a podcast that explores the delicate and often dangerous territory of reputational warfare, a man named Gaurav Srivastava finds himself at the edge of a very modern abyss. 

Targeted, Reputation, and Gaurav Srivastava: The Court of Public Opinion vs. Justice

The modern smear campaign doesn’t need much. A few willing outlets. A touch of geopolitical intrigue. A dash of character assassination disguised as journalism. By the time anyone asks a question, it’s already too late. That’s the world Gaurav Srivastava woke up to in 2023, as one of the most sophisticated reputation attacks in recent history unfolded around him.

Gaurav Srivastava was the target of a ruthless smear campaign, positioning him as “the fall guy” for a former business partner, who has since been sanctioned for illicit trading in Russian oil by the UK, EU and Switzerland.

Targeted Podcast Trailer: What does it mean to be targeted?Gaurav Srivastava was targeted by a smear campaign accusing him of being a fraud.

Victoria Kataoka on the disinformation campaign vs Gaurav Srivastava, Offshore Alert Conference, London December 2024