An online platform founded by controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been breached by hackers, exposing sensitive data on close to 800,000 users.
"The Real World," formerly known as "Hustler's University," founded by the self-described misogynist, 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 belonging to current and former members. The compromised data includes:
The hackers flooded the platform's main chatroom with a series of emojis. 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 streaming an episode of his show Emergency Meeting on streaming video platform Rumble.
"After accessing the data, we leveraged a vulnerability to upload emojis, delete attachments, crash everyone's 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 notification service, and to DDoSecrets, a nonprofit journalism collective that hosts leaked data in the public interest.
Newsweek contacted Andrew Tate via email for comment.
This incident isn't the first time The Real World has faced security issues. In May 2024, a misconfigured MongoDB database exposed 88 gigabytes of data belonging to over 968,000 users, which had been openly accessible on the internet since at least April 8, 2024.
The Real World claims to have over 113,000 active users, which could generate upwards of $5.65 million monthly if accurate. The platform predominantly appeals to teenage males and teaches Tate's "41 tenets for men."
A former member described the site as having a "cult-like atmosphere," according to CyberDaily.au.
The leaked chat logs reveal a range of discussions among users, from motivational quotes and business advice to fear of LGBTQ+ issues. One user wrote: "Maybe it's just the MSM, but I am starting to fear for my own safety and the future of the USA. Shootings every day, LGBTQ agenda, the matrix... I am sick of all this garbage happening here," as reported by The Daily Dot.
Tate, a 37-year-old former kickboxer and reality TV personality, has gained notoriety for his controversial views and statements, including saying that women "shouldn't vote." In interviews, Tate has openly described himself as a misogynist. Speaking to another YouTuber, he said, "I'm absolutely a misogynist, and I'm proud of it."
He first rose to fame after appearing on the UK reality show Big Brother in 2016 but was removed after six days when a video surfaced appearing to show him attacking 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 stating that women should "bear responsibility" for being sexually assaulted.
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: "I heard that Andrew Tate tried to come stretch his awkward wings here and got banned in just one day. Sorry, hate has no home here. Stay in the bad place, thanks."
Tate is currently awaiting trial in Romania on charges including rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women. He was detained alongside his brother Tristan in December 2022. Both have denied the allegations.
On November 19, 2024, the Bucharest Court of Appeal accepted the Tates' appeals, 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 removed due to inconsistencies, and prosecutors were given five days to address these issues.
In the U.K., the Tate brothers face additional legal challenges. In March 2024, British police were granted a warrant to extradite them over allegations of sexual assault occurring between 2012 and 2015. Romanian courts have stated that any extradition would take place only after Romanian legal proceedings conclude.
In May 2024, four women initiated a civil lawsuit against Andrew Tate in the U.K.'s High Court, accusing him of rape, physical violence, and coercive control between 2013 and 2016. Tate has denied all allegations.