The Dark Side of Sedulo

Competitive Intelligence, Online Harassment, and Weaponized Information

Where It All Begins

Sedulo Group UK, at first glance, appears to be just another business advisory firm, a British success story founded in 2009. The company offers a range of services from accountancy and wealth management to business consulting, catering to SMEs, not-for-profits, and high-profile clients, including celebrities such as Dame Kelly Holmes, Chris Eubank, Dr. Ranj, Philip Schofield and the controversial Stop Funding Hate organization.

Despite Sedulo producing massive profits and growing the company footprint with five offices across the UK, a deeper look reveals a much darker side to Sedulo's operations, one steeped in questionable practices and ethical violations.

The story begins with Paul Cheetam-Karcz, who founded Sedulo after working as a secretary for a private detective agency in 2006. During this time, he learned the tricks of counter-surveillance, evidence gathering, and information collection, skills that would later form the backbone of Sedulo’s operations. However, staff members' accounts of life at Sedulo tell a very different story: a toxic, tribal work culture built on fear and low salaries, where employees are expected to endure abusive practices for the sake of corporate success. Despite the perks, free breakfast, yoga on the roof, and holidays in Tenerife, the company’s management is accused of being ineffective and creating an environment that fosters bullying and a lack of diversity.

But Sedulo's troubling practices extend far beyond the walls of their offices. They manage clients, including Stop Funding Hate, an activist organization focused on targeting media outlets they deem politically biased, demanding advertisers withdraw support from these platforms. Sedulo’s willingness to work with such controversial clients is telling, it reveals a company not shy about aligning itself with those willing to use their influence to manipulate public opinion and suppress free speech.

A Darker Network: The American Sedulo Group and Corporate Espionage

Sedulo’s American counterpart, founded in Louisville, Kentucky, has ties that raise even more concern. Heath Gross, the founder of Sedulo Group US, is a former counterintelligence officer and CIA affiliate. In a statement, Gross revealed how his previous work shaped his future with Sedulo, including an account of how he secured funding for the company:

“I completed a research project for a pharmaceutical company that was interested in entering the childhood EPI vaccine market. Through my work, I met with several major humanitarian organizations, including UNICEF, WHO, PAHO, and the Gates Foundation. I learned that one of the major challenges with childhood vaccines in many countries is the lack of vaccination tracking. Most countries still relied on paper vaccine cards, which can be difficult to maintain in some conditions. I thought there must be a better solution, and I came up with the idea of using biometric technology to provide a portable vaccination record for children.

With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we were able to develop the necessary technology and deploy it in Benin, Africa, and Nepal. In 2012, our organization received the coveted Changemaker designation from Ashoka, and in 2015, we merged with another nonprofit to continue our mission of improving immunization in developing countries.”

The connection to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is particularly notable. Sedulo Group, founded in part on this funding, now operates under the leadership of Travis Koberg, a man with a career in investment banking, communications, and strategic planning. But what does the American side of Sedulo actually do? Beyond the consulting and financial advisory services, Sedulo Group USA focuses heavily on competitive intelligence, specializing in strategic analysis and intelligence gathering. Their Sedulo Query platform, now removed from their website, offered tools for companies to gather targeted intelligence on competitors, products, and markets, often giving clients a disproportionate advantage.

Sedulo’s Dark Tactics: The Case of the Harassed GP

The real shock comes when we examine a disturbing example of how Sedulo Group allegedly deployed its competitive intelligence tactics against a General Practitioner (GP) in the UK. Here’s how the events supposedly unfolded:

1. The GP’s Public Statement:
   A GP in the UK raised legitimate concerns about the safety and efficacy of a proprietary mRNA drug, urging caution. This prompted a response from one of Sedulo’s clients, a large pharmaceutical company, whose interests were threatened by this public statement.

2. The Online Harassment Campaign:
   In retaliation, Sedulo allegedly deployed a team of trolls from their Mutton Crew to launch a relentless online harassment campaign against the GP. These trolls bombarded the GP with abusive messages, false claims, and smear tactics on social media, online forums, and even through direct messages. The objective was clear: destroy the GP’s professional reputation and discredit their concerns.

3. Psychological Warfare:
   The harassment didn’t stop at social media. It was designed to provoke the GP into an emotional response, using their public persona to amplify the smear campaign. The goal was to push the GP to the brink of emotional distress, possibly even driving them towards suicidal thoughts.

4. Coordinated Pressure from Pharmaceutical Giants:
   As the harassment continued, Sedulo’s network within the pharmaceutical industry allegedly exerted pressure on medical journals to reject the GP’s research or to publish negative reviews of their work. The GP’s credibility was systematically undermined, further isolating them from the medical community.

5. Blackmail and Intimidation:
   When online tactics failed to silence the GP, Sedulo reportedly escalated its efforts. The GP was allegedly subjected to blackmail, with threats of legal repercussions unless they retracted their concerns or paid a substantial sum. In one instance, the amount demanded was £23,000 to avoid legal threats from a high-profile TV doctor.

6. Targeted Job Disruption:
   The harassment didn’t end with the GP’s professional life. Sedulo reportedly reached out to various GP surgeries, urging them not to employ the targeted doctor. This further damaged the GP’s career prospects and professional standing.

This is just one example of how competitive intelligence techniques are reportedly being weaponized against individuals to protect corporate interests. The actions taken against this GP suggest that Sedulo, and its contractors, are willing to go to extreme lengths, including online harassment, blackmail, and job sabotage, to silence voices that challenge the interests of their clients.

The Dark Truth Behind Sedulo’s Operations

What makes this even more disturbing is that this is not an isolated incident. Reports suggest that Sedulo has been involved in numerous such operations, using intelligence gathering and psychological manipulation to serve the needs of their corporate clients, regardless of the ethical implications. Sedulo's network of contractors (the so-called Mutton Crew) is often kept in the dark about the full scope of their tasks, simply told to carry out a “mission” without understanding the consequences for the individuals involved.

Sedulo’s Lack of Accountability

What’s worse is that Sedulo is not just quietly providing consulting services. They are actively shaping the narrative, using smear tactics and coercion to manipulate public opinion, all the while cashing in on the corporate clients willing to pay for these unscrupulous methods. It begs the question: how much longer will these tactics remain unchecked? How many more lives will be destroyed before the public demands transparency and accountability?

A Call for Transparency and Justice

Sedulo has built a reputation as a global player in the world of business consulting, but the truth about their methods is darker than anyone expected. The time has come for Sedulo to be held accountable for their actions. The public deserves to know what really happens behind closed doors, and individuals subjected to their tactics deserve justice.

What else is Sedulo hiding? It’s time to demand answers.