Roberto Maggio
| Roberto Maggio | |
|---|---|
| File:Roberto Maggi black and white.jpgRoberto Maggi black and white.jpg | |
| Born | September 12, 1961 Rome, Italy |
| 💼 Occupation | |
Roberto Maggio (born 12 September 1961) is an Italian entrepreneur, photographer, and CEO of a Dubai-based company that supplies hospital equipment. Maggio has been involved in business consulting, investments, real estate development, and various international ventures, including those in the adult entertainment and payment processing sectors. He resides between Dubai and Sofia, Bulgaria, and is a member of a leading Rotary International club.[1][2][3][4][5]
Early life and education
Maggio was born in Rome, Italy, on 12 September 1961. From a young age, he displayed a strong interest in technology, which led him to develop early programs and websites in Italy. He attributes his entrepreneurial drive to personal traits such as high energy, self-motivation, a strong character, and curiosity, which shaped his path into business.[6][1]
Career
Maggio's career spans over 40 years in the technology and business sectors. He is credited with pioneering online credit card payment systems, contributing to the early development of web services. As CEO of RIOMED MEDICAL SUPPLIES LLC in Dubai, he oversees the importation and supply of medical equipment, including massage apparatus, food preparations, and laboratory reagents from countries like India.[2][3][4][6] He has founded and managed numerous companies across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, often focusing on payment processing, consulting, and digital services. Notable ventures include HYDRA GROUP EOOD in Bulgaria, which provides financial consulting and payment processing services, reporting significant revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. Other entities under his involvement include ATELIER NOIRE LTD in the UK, VR HOLDING LTD in Bulgaria, and PAGORAPIDO SA in Spain, which handle diverse activities from payment intermediation to real estate and entertainment.[4][7][8] Maggio has also ventured into real estate through companies like JIO REAL ESTATE and AVNE LTD in Dubai, as well as yacht rental services via LUXOR SAILING SL in the Canary Islands. In the food sector, he is associated with CASA ROSIELLO LTD, which markets pasta products in the UAE. Additionally, he has interests in photography agencies like MARGUTTA AGENCY and has registered trademarks for various brands.[4] In the adult entertainment industry, Maggio's companies have been linked to platforms such as Ragazze In Vendita (literally "Girls On Sale"), a cam girl network established around 2005, where his firms provided payment processing and management services. RIV operates as a white-label affiliate program, offering services to models and webmasters, though it has faced criticisms.[7][8][9][10][4]
Photography
Beyond business, Maggio is an active photographer and traveler, based in Sofia and Dubai. He has organized photography contests, such as "Other Places," and maintains a portfolio focusing on visual arts. His work includes collaborations with models and artistic projects, shared via social media.[3][11][2]
Controversy and Phica association
In 2025, Maggio was linked to the controversial forum Phica.eu, a site accused of hosting non-consensual images and sexist content, which was shut down following public outcry. Investigations revealed connections through payment processing services provided by his companies, HYDRA GROUP EOOD and ATELIER NOIRE LTD, to external platforms like Ragazze In Vendita, to which Phica redirected users. Maggio has categorically denied being the administrator or owner of Phica, stating that his involvement was limited to managing payment transactions and not content. He clarified that HYDRA focuses solely on financial transactions for affiliated sites and emphasized that he had no knowledge of Phica's content. In public statements, including interviews with TG5 and Fanpage.it, Maggio expressed confidence that authorities would identify the true owner and noted he had not been contacted by police. Despite these denials, analyses of company networks, SSL certificates, and Google Analytics tags have suggested deeper infrastructural ties between Phica and RIV-related entities.[5][8][12][13][14][15][3][7][4] Maggio's business structure has drawn scrutiny for its complexity, involving multiple shell companies across jurisdictions like Bulgaria, the UK, Spain, and Switzerland, some of which have been described as vehicles for fund transfers with minimal operational activity. Maggio has maintained that his role is that of an intermediary.[8][9][10][4]
Personal life
Maggio is known for his globetrotting lifestyle and passion for technology and photography. He is involved in Rotary International and has expressed a desire to leave a legacy of curiosity and perseverance.[16][1][6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ["Never Give Up, Even in the Face of the Most Desperate Situations – Roberto Maggio"](https://www.villagevoice.com/2021/06/15/never-give-up-even-in-the-face-of-the-most-desperate-situations-roberto-maggio/). The Village Voice. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ["Roberto Maggio on His Passion for All Things Technology"](https://www.lofficiel.at/en/art-and-culture/roberto-maggio-on-his-passion-for-all-things-technology). L'OFFICIEL Austria. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 ["Other Places: concorso fotografico di Roberto Maggio"](http://www.stiletv.it/index.php/news/74419). StileTV. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 ["Ragazze In Vendita"](https://ingerenze.org/inchieste/ragazze-in-vendita/). Ingerenze.org. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ["Phica.eu, parla Roberto Maggio: «Non sono io il gestore del sito, controllavo la piattaforma per i pagamenti. I contenuti? Non li conoscevo»"](https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/25_settembre_01/phica-eu-l-imprenditore-che-gestiva-i-pagamenti-non-sono-stato-contattato-dalla-polizia-postale-scopriranno-il-vero-proprietario-4211b3a1-7296-4b72-9a5f-090cd9fbfxlk.shtml). Corriere della Sera. 2025-08-31. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 ["Caso Phica, chi è Roberto Maggio: “Gestivo solo i pagamenti di un sito, non i contenuti del forum”"](https://www.fanpage.it/innovazione/tecnologia/caso-phica-chi-e-roberto-maggio-gestivo-solo-i-pagamenti-di-un-sito-non-i-contenuti-del-forum/). Fanpage.it. 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 ["Sono in vendita anche io"](http://cartacarbone.blogspot.com/2006/11/sono-in-vendita-anche-io.html). Carbon COPY. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 ["The Three Elements That Shaped Roberto Maggio"](https://www.flaunt.com/blog/roberto-maggio). Flaunt. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 ["Sito sessista con foto rubate, Roberto Maggio si difende dalle accuse: 'Non sono io il gestore' "](https://www.virgilio.it/notizie/sito-sessista-con-foto-rubate-roberto-maggio-si-difende-dalle-accuse-non-sono-io-il-gestore-1699835). Virgilio. 2025-08-31. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 ["Caso Phica, spunta il libro scritto dal creatore di Ragazze in Vendita: “Un business zozzo ma pulito”"](https://www.fanpage.it/innovazione/tecnologia/caso-phica-spunta-il-libro-scritto-dal-creatore-di-ragazze-in-vendita-un-business-zozzo-ma-pulito/). Fanpage.it. 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ ["Roberto Maggio (@maggioroberto)"](https://www.instagram.com/maggioroberto/). Instagram. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ ["Siti sessisti, Maggio si difende: 'Non gestisco io Phica.eu' "](https://www.adnkronos.com/cronaca/phica-siti-sessisti-roberto-maggio-chi-e-imprenditore_1JPWjoTCsbLAYv7GfVqubS). Adnkronos. 2025-08-31. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ ["Caso Phica, Roberto Maggio a Fanpage.it: 'Quel forum era solo un affiliato: io mi occupo di altro' "](https://www.fanpage.it/innovazione/tecnologia/caso-phica-roberto-maggio-a-fanpage-it-quel-forum-era-solo-un-affiliato-io-mi-occupo-di-altro/). Fanpage.it. 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ ["Roberto Maggio Hopes to Leave a Legacy of Curiosity and Stubbornness"](https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/462697/Roberto-Maggio-Hopes-to-Leave-a-Legacy-of-Curiosity-and-Stubbornness). Tehran Times. 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ ["Roberto Maggio smentisce gli accostamenti a phica.eu"](https://www.agi.it/cronaca/news/2025-09-02/presunto-gestore-phica-eu-smentisce-denuncia-32968388/). AGI. 2025-09-02. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ ["Roberto Maggio Hopes to Leave a Legacy of Curiosity and Stubbornness"](https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/462697/Roberto-Maggio-Hopes-to-Leave-a-Legacy-of-Curiosity-and-Stubbornness). Tehran Times. 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
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