Buenos Aires, January 31, 2026 – Total News Agency-TNA – The celebration of American media entrepreneur Christopher Ruddy's 61st birthday, founder and principal shareholder of the Newsmax conglomerate, left a trail of political gestures, business ties, and social scenes that extended beyond the Bosch Palace, the seat of the U.S. Embassy in Argentina. The main event took place on Thursday, January 28, at 19:00, when U.S. Ambassador Peter Lamelas and his wife Stephanie Lamelas opened the doors of the historic mansion to honor Ruddy, considered one of the most influential media entrepreneurs close to President Donald Trump. The next day, a group of about 35 guests gathered for lunch at Sabot restaurant, convened under the 'umbrella of the American Club.' Urban was one of the visible organizers of the meeting, which also included Lamelas and Rinaldi, as well as consultants and strategists historically linked to the United States, such as Luis Rosales. This lunch rekindled internal questions among former members of the American Club, an entity that once had institutional weight and valuable real estate but ended in bankruptcy shortly after its centennial. According to public data, the company reached a valuation of over $10 billion, turning its founder into a billionaire and establishing him as one of the main media references of American conservatism aligned with Trump. Thus, amidst diplomatic toasts, political endorsements, and exclusive lunches, the celebration revealed not only the regional projection of Newsmax and its owner but also old pending accounts in the local sphere, where the name of the American Club circulates again wrapped in doubts and claims that still await a clear explanation. For these former members, the reappearance of the club as an informal host contrasts with the lack of explanations about its financial and patrimonial collapse. Beyond these controversies, the background of the event was marked by the figure of Ruddy and the meteoric rise of Newsmax, which in March 2025 starred in an explosive debut on the New York Stock Exchange. According to coincident reconstructions, during the last management led by Robert Urban as president and Rafael Mallo as vice president, the club had an initial debt estimated at $250,000, while the property it owned far exceeded one million dollars in market value. The outcome left multiple questions unanswered. The reception brought together figures from the business world, politics, and diplomacy, in a careful social climate without explicit references to the local political situation, except for the public ratification of the support of the U.S. government for the administration of Javier Milei. Among the attendees were Daniel Hadad, Mario Montoto, shipowner Joe Elverdin, former Senator Federico Pinedo, and the head of Techint, Paolo Rocca, whose presence did not go unnoticed amid his recent clashes with the Argentine president. The last board of directors, among others, was integrated by Urban, Mallo, and Álvaro Méndez, and today some partners are considering advancing with a judicial demand to clarify responsibilities and the final destination of the assets. In this context, the use of the name of the American Club to organize social activities and high-profile lunches generates discomfort among those who remember that the institution no longer has a headquarters or regular functioning. The U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay, Lou Rinaldi, a personal friend of Ruddy and Trump himself, also participated, traveling especially from Montevideo for the encounter.
