Hackers Breach Andrew Tate’s Online University, Exposing 325,000 Email Addresses and Data from 800,000 Users
Hackers have compromised Andrew Tate’s online course, The Real World, revealing sensitive data, including the email addresses of approximately 325,000 users. The breach also exposed usernames, chat logs, and other platform details, raising serious concerns about the site’s security.
The Real World, formerly known as Hustler’s University, offers “advanced training and mentoring” for $50 per month, focusing on topics like fitness, financial investment, and e-commerce. The platform claims to teach users how to master “money-making skills” and boasts over 113,000 active members, generating at least $5.65 million in monthly revenue if the numbers are accurate.
Details of the Hack
The hackers announced their breach during a livestream of Tate’s Emergency Meeting show on Rumble by flooding the platform’s main chatroom with emojis they uploaded. These included a transgender flag, a feminist fist, an AI-generated image of Tate draped in a rainbow flag, and a meme depicting Tate with exaggerated features.
The leaked data includes:
- Approximately 794,000 usernames from current and former members.
- 221 public and 395 private chat server contents.
- A list of 324,382 unique email addresses belonging to users removed for non-payment.
The hackers exploited a platform vulnerability to upload emojis, delete attachments, crash users’ clients, and temporarily ban individuals. In their statement, the hackers described the platform’s security as “hilariously insecure” and cited “hacktivism” as their motive.
Insights from Leaked Chat Logs
The leaked chat logs reveal a mix of motivational content, user progress updates, and controversial discussions. In one instance, a user expressed fear about the “LGBTQ agenda” and the future of the U.S., tying societal issues to broader conspiracies like “the matrix.”
Tate and Ongoing Legal Issues
Andrew Tate, a 37-year-old former kickboxer and reality TV star, is a prominent figure in the manosphere, a network of forums promoting masculinity. Critics argue much of this content perpetuates misogyny and toxic ideologies. Tate, who has openly described himself as a misogynist, faces multiple legal investigations in Romania and the U.K. on charges including human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group to exploit women. He denies all allegations.
Handling the Breach
The hackers provided the email addresses to HaveIBeenPwned, a service that notifies users of leaked credentials, and the full dataset to DDoSecrets, a journalism collective specializing in hacked and leaked data in the public interest.
This breach highlights not only the vulnerability of platforms like The Real World but also the ethical and security challenges surrounding data protection in high-profile online communities.