The notorious mastermind, Thabo Bester, was a chameleon of deceit, adopting multiple identities and orchestrating elaborate business scams.
One of his most audacious personas was that of Tom Motsepe, a supposed New York-based entrepreneur claiming to be related to South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe. Thabo leveraged this fabricated connection to build credibility and gain the trust of his targets.
While serving time in Magaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein for sexual assault and murder, Bester hatched a plan to create a production company called 21st Century Media. In a brazen move, he registered the company and even threw a lavish launch party at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton on June 13th, 2018 – coincidentally, his actual birthday.
The high-profile event drew in A-list celebrities like Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Nomzamo Mbatha, who were none the wiser about Thabo’s true circumstances.
As the guests sang “Happy Birthday” to Tom Motsepe via video call, Bester watched with amusement, revelling in the success of his elaborate ruse. The clip of the event resurfaced on TikTok, revealing the shocking truth: Thabo was still behind bars, manipulating the strings of his fake business empire.
The TikTok post read: “On this day in 2018, Thabo Bester hosted a fancy launch event for his company. Celebrities and politicians were made to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him via video call, believing he was in New York and that he was the CEO of a successful business when, in fact, he was in prison.
All your favourite celebrities were there.” This jaw-dropping revelation exposed the extent of Bester’s cunning and deception, leaving many stunned by the audacity of his schemes.
@julia_celeb_reports On this day in 2018, Thabo Bester hosted a fancy launch event for his company. Celebrities and politicians were made to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him via video call, believing he was in New York and that he was the CEO of a successful business—when in fact, he was in prison. The white background behind him is a white sheet. He stood there and laughed while they sang #sama #AfricanMovies #sama28tiktok #viral #Sama28 #thabobester #tommotsepe #birthdayparty #companylaunch #thobilengwato #jimmymanyi #amandadupont #celebrity #celebration #party ♬ original sound – Julia Celeb Reports
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