Canadian heiress Taylor Thomson lost more than $80 million after investing in a firm called Persistence Capital, reportedly on the recommendation of her friend Ashley Richardson — who, according to The Wall Street Journal , was influenced by a psychic.
The WSJ notes that Thomson herself never spoke to the psychic, but her friend did — and also allegedly received kickbacks tied to the investment.
Thomson's former best friend, Ashley Richardson, managed over $140 million of Thomson's crypto portfolio through multiple wallets after they sought advice from a celebrity psychic and other spiritual advisers.
The mid-2022 decline in crypto markets was severe enough to significantly reduce the value of the portfolio, and consulting firm Guidepost Solutions estimated Thomson's losses now stand over $80 million.
The firm also claims Richardson conducted over 450,000 transactions without formal approval or processes, including high-risk strategies on Thomson's behalf.
However, reports also claim that Richardson denied the allegations and told the WSJ that she acted at Thomson's direction and was simply trying to maintain liquidity in some thinly traded tokens.
She was adamant that there was no formal contract governing the engagement and claimed she did not personally profit from the trades.
The fight then progressed to the court. In 2023, Thomson sued Richardson and the proof-of-stake blockchain project created in 2021 named Persistence (XPRT), where she invested $40 million.
The investment soured when XPRT fell by 98.81% from a high of $16.59 in May 2021 to roughly $0.03788 as of writing.
Two psychics at play
Thomson alleges that Richardson and Persistence arranged a "finder's fee" secretly, essentially leaving Thomson stuck holding the bag , and she has included a misrepresentation claim in her $25 million lawsuit.
Although Persistence and Thomson have settled their dispute, she continues with her lawsuit against Richardson.
According to the New York post, two psychics contributed to the loss. Celebrity psychic Michelle Whitedove apparently advised Richardson to buy XPRT.
But, Thomson apparently asked Robert Sabella, a psychic she met regularly, for confirmation before investing in the coin.
Thomson's spokesperson told the WSJ, "but by no means would she make substantial life decisions based on his suggestions."
Richardson retaliated with a $10 million defamation lawsuit, claiming Thomson defamed her by claiming to colleagues she committed fraud.
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Aug 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
