Lapo Elkann, the brother of Fiat Chairman John Elkann and an heir to Italy's biggest industrial dynasty, was arrested in New York City on Saturday after claiming he had been kidnapped.
Elkann, 39 _ who also is internationally known as a fashion icon and entrepreneur _ filed a false police report claiming somebody was holding him against his will, New York Police Sgt. Lee Jones said.
New York police arrested Elkann on Saturday night inside an apartment with a 29-year-old man. The man was initially charged with grand larceny, but those charges were dropped.
Elkann, the grandson of late Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli, faked his own kidnapping after he ran out of cash after spending two days with an escort and claimed a woman would hurt him unless a $10,000 ransom was paid, according to the New York Post.
Jones declined to comment on those details. The police have released Elkann but ordered him to appear in court Jan. 25.
Elkann's publicist, Alessia Margiotta, declined to comment.
Elkann's public image has always stood in stark contrast to his quiet brother and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chairman John Elkann, who also serves as chairman and CEO of Exor, an Italian investment fund that owns about 30 percent of FCA.
Lapo Elkann has a long history of flamboyant behavior, has often been named one of world's most eligible bachelors and has had other high-profile issues with drug use.
Elkann nearly died of a drug overdose in 2005 after collapsing in the apartment of a transsexual prostitute and left a marketing position with Fiat.
But by 2007 Elkann bounced back, and founded sunglasses company Italia Independent, which debuted on the Milan stock market in June in 2013. He also has teamed up with Gucci for special-edition Fiat models.
Six days ago, Elkann posted a video on Instagram saying he was embarking on a trip abroad to gather ideas for the business.
"I will be visiting many different countries because there are a lot of projects in development _ a lot of new ideas I will be soon showing to you," Elkann said in the video. "I will be seeing many very interesting characters in the creative field and the entrepreneurial field in the next few days."
