An internet platform founded by controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been hacked, exposing the sensitive data of nearly 800,000 users.

Founded by a self-proclaimed misogynist, “The Real World,” formerly known as “Hustler University,” offers courses on wealth creation and personal development for a monthly fee of around $50.

According to an exclusive report by The Daily Dot, hackers infiltrated The Real World and obtained approximately 794,000 usernames of current and former members. Data at risk includes:

• Email Addresses: List of 324,382 unique email addresses of users who have been removed for non-payment.
• Chat logs: Content from 221 public and 395 private chat servers, revealing extensive user interactions.

Hackers flooded the platform’s main chat room with a series of emoticons. These included a transgender flag, a feminist fist and AI-generated images of Andrew Tate draped in a rainbow flag. The timing coincided with Tate airing an episode of his show Extraordinary meeting on the streaming video platform Rumble.

“After accessing the data, we used the vulnerability to upload emojis, delete attachments, crash all clients, and temporarily ban people,” the hackers told The Daily Dot.

A source familiar with the breach described the platform’s security as “hilariously insecure” and cited “hacktivism” as the motive behind the attack. The compromised email addresses were provided to Have I Been Pwned, a data breach reporting service, and DDoSecrets, a non-profit journalism collective that hosts leaked data in the public interest.

This incident is not the first time Real World has faced security issues. In May 2024, a misconfigured MongoDB database exposed 88 gigabytes of data belonging to more than 968,000 users that had been openly accessible on the Internet since at least April 8, 2024.

Real World claims to have over 113,000 active users, which could generate up to $5.65 million per month if accurate. The platform primarily targets teenage males and teaches Tate’s “41 Principles for Men.”

According to CyberDaily.au, a former member described the site as having a “cult atmosphere”.

Leaked chat logs reveal a range of discussions between users, from motivational quotes and business advice to fear of LGBTQ+ issues. One user wrote: “Maybe it’s just the MSM, but I’m starting to worry about my own safety and the future of the USA. Shootings every day, the LGBTQ agenda, the matrix… I’m sick of all the garbage going on here.” ,” as reported by The Daily Dot.

Tate, a 37-year-old former kickboxer and reality TV personality, has become famous for his controversial views and statements, including that women “shouldn’t vote”. In interviews, Tate has openly described himself as a misogynist. In an interview with another YouTuber, he said: “I am absolutely misogynistic and proud of it.”

He first rose to fame after appearing on a British reality show Big brother in 2016, but was removed after six days when a video surfaced showing him assaulting a woman.

Tate has been banned from several social media sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, for promoting misogynistic content. X (formerly Twitter) reinstated his account after a previous ban for saying women should be “held accountable” for sexual assault.

Most recently, Tate was banned from Bluesky for violating its terms of service less than a day after joining.

George Takei, one of the top 10 most followed accounts on Bluesky, commented: “Heard Andrew Tate tried to spread his inept wings here and got banned within a day. Sorry, hate has no home here. Stay in the wrong place, thank you.”

Tate is currently awaiting trial in Romania on charges of rape, human trafficking and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women. He was arrested alongside his brother Tristan in December 2022. Both denied the charges.

On 19 November 2024, the Bucharest Court of Appeal accepted the Tates’ appeal, citing significant irregularities in the prosecution’s case. However, claims circulating on social media that the case had been dismissed were deemed inaccurate. The court ruled that some evidence should be suppressed due to irregularities, and prosecutors were given five days to deal with the matters.

In the UK, the Tate brothers face further legal challenges. In March 2024, British police were granted a warrant for their extradition over allegations of sexual assault that took place between 2012 and 2015. Romanian courts said that any extradition would only take place after the Romanian trial.

In May 2024, four women launched a civil action against Andrew Tate in the UK High Court, accusing him of rape, physical violence and coercive control between 2013 and 2016. Tate has denied all allegations.