He's been making headlines since the 90s. Even before he got on the US radar, he was involved in inside trading, tearing up the roads of Europe, winning the Gum

He's been making headlines since the 90s. Even before he got on the US radar, he was involved in inside trading, tearing up the roads of Europe, winning the Gumball Rally, getting involved in questionable financial schemes, went on the run, and God knows what else. He's a larger than life character with a long track record of media coverage and was Internet famous long before Megaupload. People are often interested in larger than life characters even when they claim not to like them; consider the reputations of Donald Trump, Justin Bieber, or the oft-misunderstood Larry Ellison.