Andrew Tate is a controversial figure who rose to fame as a four-time kickboxing champion and a reality TV star. He is also known for his lavish lifestyle, his webcam business, and his involvement in cryptocurrency. But how did he become a crypto millionaire and what happened to his Bitcoin holdings after his arrest?
From Kickboxing to Crypto
Tate started his kickboxing career in 2007 and won several titles, including the ISKA World Super Cruiserweight Championship. However, he claimed that he did not make much money from the sport and that he had to finance his own team and expenses. He estimated that he made between $5,000 and $10,000 per match, with a total of about $500,000 throughout his career.
In 2016, Tate gained more public attention when he appeared on the UK Big Brother show. He was later ejected from the house for violent and aggressive behavior. He also attracted controversy for his misogynistic and racist comments on social media platforms, which led to his ban from Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tate moved to Romania and started a casino business with a local family who owned hundreds of casinos in Eastern Europe. He also ran a webcam business where he hired women to perform online for clients. He claimed that he made millions of dollars from these ventures and that he used some of the profits to invest in cryptocurrency.
Tate became an avid supporter of Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies. He said that he liked the idea of being able to control and move his money without any intermediaries or restrictions. He also boasted about his crypto trading skills and said that he turned $600,000 into $12 million.
The Arrest and the Seizure
In December 2020, Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested by the Romanian authorities on charges of human trafficking, rape, money laundering, and tax evasion. They were accused of exploiting and abusing the women who worked for them as webcam models and of forcing them into prostitution. They were also suspected of laundering money through their casino and crypto businesses.
The police seized millions of dollars worth of assets from the Tate brothers, including luxury cars, houses, watches, and jewelry. They also confiscated hardware wallets containing digital assets. According to a spokesperson for the Tate brothers, Andrew's wallet contained five Bitcoin and Tristan's wallet contained 16 Bitcoin. That's about $467,625 worth of Bitcoin at the current market price.
However, it is unclear whether the Tate brothers owned more crypto than what was seized by the police. The spokesperson said that Andrew's Bitcoin was held in his girlfriend's hardware wallet and that he could not confirm if he had any other wallets or accounts. Tate has also claimed that he had hidden some of his crypto in offshore accounts and that he had access to them even while in jail.
The Future of Tate's Crypto
Tate has not given up on his crypto ambitions despite his legal troubles. He has continued to promote his online courses and programs where he teaches people how to make money from crypto trading, webcam business, martial arts, and other topics. He has also launched his own NFT collection called "Tate Tokens" which features digital artworks of himself and his lifestyle.
Tate has also expressed his confidence that he will be acquitted of all charges and that he will regain his freedom and his assets soon. He has maintained his innocence and said that he was a victim of a conspiracy by his enemies who wanted to destroy him. He has also vowed to sue the Romanian government for damages and to expose their corruption.
Whether Tate will be able to keep his crypto fortune or not remains to be seen. His case is still ongoing and he faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His crypto holdings may also be subject to further investigation and confiscation by the authorities or by other parties who may have claims against him.