Bay Area Internet mogul ordered to pay driver nearly $500,000

Gurbaksh Chahal in his San Francisco high-rise penthouse in downtown San Francisco, Calif. on Friday Oct. 17, 2008. Chahal is the San Jose internet entrepreneur who made a company as a teenager and sold it to Yahoo for $300 million a few years ago. He has a book coming out on Oct. 23 and will appear on Oprah the same day. less Gurbaksh Chahal in his San Francisco high-rise penthouse in downtown San Francisco, Calif. on Friday Oct. 17, 2008. Chahal is the San Jose internet entrepreneur who made a company as a teenager and sold it to ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Bay Area Internet mogul ordered to pay driver nearly $500,000 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A once-illustrious San Francisco Internet entrepreneur — convicted of domestic violence and ousted from his company — was ordered to pay his former chauffeur nearly half a million dollars in unpaid wages.

The California Labor Commissioner ordered Gurbaksh Chahal, 33, to pay Khabib Lutfiyev $480,727.81 for nearly a year’s worth of work, according to a Feb. 11 decision.

Chahal first hired Lutfiyev as his private limo driver and bodyguard for his 30th birthday celebration in Bodrum, Turkey, and eventually asked that Lutfiyev start working full time when they got back to California, Stephanie Barrett, a hearing officer for the labor commission, wrote in the order.

Lutfiyev agreed to take the gig on condition that his family be moved to the Bay Area — a deal he worked out through the owner of the limo company he worked for.

The family soon moved to Brisbane on Chahal’s dime while Lutfiyev began his new job, his attorney, Katherine Fiester of the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, said in an interview Tuesday.

But very quickly, the business arrangement turned sour.

Chahal downloaded an app on Lutfiyev’s phone called “Ping Me” that tracked his phone in real time and required him to be available 24/7, Barrett wrote.

“Being his personal limo driver literally translated into a few hours of sleep a night,” Fiester said. “And ultimately he wasn’t being paid at all.”

Chahal had negotiated to pay Lutfiyev $7,000 a month, but anytime the discussion of a paycheck came up, Chahal would say, “‘Do you want your family evicted?” Fiester said.

“I would drive his Rolls-Royce and his Ferrari and people would think I get paid a good salary,” Lutfiyev said in an interview Tuesday. “He told me I have to park in front of night clubs and strip clubs and tell them ‘That’s Gurbaksh’s car.’”

Chahal’s relationship with the limo company — and eventually with Lutfiyev — fell apart in June of 2013. The labor commission found Chahal owed Lutfiyev $270,816 in unpaid wages, $71,425 in damages, $92,452 in interest and $46,003 in penalties.

Chahal was once described as one of America’s most eligible bachelors and was former CEO of the San Francisco online advertising company RadiumOne.

He pleaded guilty in April 2014 to misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence battery, stemming from an August 2013 assault of his girlfriend at his Rincon Hill home.

The RadiumOne board of directors decided to fire Chahal as CEO later that month.

Before becoming chief executive of that company, Chahal founded and sold two Internet companies for more than $300 million.

“When you see an employer like Mr. Chahal not paying their employee, a lot of times it’s about manipulation and control and taking advantage,” Fiester said.

Chahal’s attorney, James Lassart, was not available for comment Tuesday. Calls to Chahal were not immediately returned.

Chahal has until Wednesday to appeal the order.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky