The long-stay apartment brand The Onsider has established itself in Barcelona's luxury real estate sector, offering exclusive residences to international high-net-worth individuals. Behind this structure is Jean Paul Rivas, a businessman who built his wealth through contracts with the Venezuelan Ministry of Health via firms like FundaSalud, specializing in low-cost health insurance for popular classes.
According to the portal Armando Info, in 2017, while Venezuela was suffering a severe medicine crisis, Rivas allegedly acted as a connector between India and the Nicolás Maduro regime, facilitating the import of pharmaceuticals with alleged overpricing that could reach 2,000%. This activity reportedly linked him to the president's alleged front men, Alex Saab and Álvaro Pulido.
“"I simply offered sporadic consulting in 2017, without receiving any remuneration for it."
To channel profits towards Europe, Rivas structured a financial network that includes the fund Black Fountain Capital, with presence in Switzerland and Dubai. This entity is the investment arm that acquires historic properties in Barcelona to refurbish them with extreme luxury, such as the flagship building at Aribau 240, or the one renovated in the Gothic Quarter, at Mercè 17, under the direction of the studio of the late architect Ricardo Bofill.
The prices for these luxury rentals are extremely high. Apartments at Mercè 17, which blend Mediterranean style with Bofill's postmodern brutalism, range between 12,000 and 18,000 euros per month. On Passeig de Gràcia, the brand also manages duplex penthouses where rents can exceed 20,000 euros, ensuring high profitability for the capital managed from the Tiffany Tower in Dubai.
