Is Alessandro Protto Really 'Fifty Shades of Grey's' Christian Grey? He Thinks So

Italian real estate agent Alessandro Protto has claimed he is the real Christian Grey. The businessman has been adding up the similarities between him and the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' character and adding on the fact he's met author E.L. James, he's drawn the conclusion that he is the inspiration for the character. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the similarities between the two men.

Jamie Dornan will play Christian Grey in the upcoming movie

Firstly its worth noting that Protto met author E.L. James when she was in Italy. He claims he spent two days travelling around Italy with the author when she was writing about international celebrities buying properties in the country. Sounds exciting.

Now we can move on to the similarites. Firstly Protto like Mr Grey is a successful businessman, but what’s even better is  Protto runs a firm called ‘Proto Organization Holding’. If that sounds familiar it might be because you’ve heard of ‘Grey Enterprise Holding’, yes the firm owned by Christian Grey in the novels. Just a coincidence? Protto thinks not.

Next is the even more spooky fact that much like E.L. James’s infamous character, Protto too drove an Audi, remarkable. Another fact that further cemented the real estate agents belief was the location of Grey’s office. Protto told the New York Daily News, ”my office is located at the 8th floor. It is the highest in the building. I came from nothing, so I see top floors as a metaphor for achievement and success.”

Despite Protto’s admissions another character trait he shares with the fictional businessman is, shyness when it comes to speaking to reporters, something he might be working on. He described himself and Christian has having the same ‘mystery’ saying, "Christian Grey doesn’t like speaking to reporters, so he builds up a mystery that surrounds him,everyone knows he made it, but nobody knows how he reached success. Same with me,” What’s worse is since rumors started that Protto could be the real life Grey he’s said to have received all sorts of ‘indecent’ proposals and also a fan club set up by a group of Swiss women. Reacting to his new found fame he said, "at times it can be pretty annoying. I don't like gossip and showbiz, I'm a businessman, that's what I do for a living and it is my main purpose in life."

Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James

However the one major question everyone wants to know the answer to is, could the real life Grey be even more kinky than the fictional one? Well the answer is no not at all, that’s because despite sharing the same car, office location and knack for business naming, one thing they don't share is a love of S&M activities. Protto said, "everything that has to do with S&M is pure imagination, I assure you. I'm an old fashioned man when it comes to sex, I'm not into that kind of fantasies," he added. It seems the kinkier parts of the book must have come from E.L.’s imagination, or her love of 'Twilight'.

It is rumoured Protto may have a cameo in the upcoming film. Luckily for him the film’s release date, Valentines Day 2015 is also when his parole ends after he was reportedly arrested last year on charges of manipulating the financial market. Maybe that’s where all the handcuff ideas came from.