Augusto Marini, the 31-year-old businessman behind the streaming platforms Carajo and Blender, settled in the heart of Barrio Parque, the most exclusive and conservative micro-neighborhood in Palermo Chico. Nicknamed the “streaming czar,” he acquired two large adjoining lots: one occupied by the historic Casa Obarrio, a petit hotel from the early 20th century that is already in the process of being restored, and the adjacent lot, where he demolished the existing home to annex it and create a large private garden. He even got Google to delete images of his properties in Street View.
Marini’s arrival did not go unnoticed among the neighbors, accustomed to the silence and tradition of a neighborhood historically populated by figures such as Pampita, Mirtha Legrand, Marcela Tinayre, Mariana Fabbiani or Teresa Calandra. In this context, some view the arrival of this “nouveau riche” of the digital age with suspicion.
The main neighborhood fear is that the businessman will transfer to the neighborhood the atmosphere of nightly electronic parties that, according to reports, he organized in Punta del Este and that generated complaints among residents. “It is a fussy microneighborhood with little affection for modernity,” close sources summarize, in an area dominated by French-style petits hôtels, where any unusual noise usually sets off alarms.
Marini, for his part, assures that he is not planning any commercial ventures and that his goal is to enjoy a large garden in the heart of Palermo Chico. However, the contrast with the surroundings is evident. Barrio Parque has already registered neighborhood rebellions over modern projects, such as the 10-story Northbaires tower, associated with Nicky Caputo, or the OM tower, enabled during the administration of Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.
In this framework, the move of this under-35 businessman – who also negotiates railway contracts with the Government and distances himself from Santiago Caputo while building bridges with Martín Menem – once again puts on stage the tension between old Buenos Aires money and the new wave of digital luxury.
