Andrew Lee (entrepreneur)

{{see also|Freenode#Ownership change and conflict}}

In 2009, Lee founded London Trust Media (LTM), a private holdings company. In 2010, he founded Private Internet Access (PIA), a virtual private network service for anonymizing Internet traffic.{{cite book|last=Eha|first=Brian Patrick|date=2017-04-06|publisher=Simon and Schuster|chapter=The Gray Hat|isbn=9781780746593|title=How Money Got Free: Bitcoin and the Fight for the Future of Finance}} He claimed to have started PIA because of his interest in Internet Relay Chat (IRC), whose users' IP addresses could be easily revealed, but only after the Freenode purchase.{{cite web|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/fight-control-andrew-lee-open-sourcing-pia|title=The Fight for Control: Andrew Lee on Open-Sourcing PIA|last=Searls|first=Doc|date=2018-05-30|website=Linux Journal|publisher=Linux Journal, LLC|archive-date=2021-05-18|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518085651/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/fight-control-andrew-lee-open-sourcing-pia|access-date=2021-05-19}} Lee and co-owner Steve DeProspero sold LTM (and its subsidiary PIA) to Israeli company Kape Technologies for US$95.5 million in November 2019.{{cite web|url=https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/full?dockey=1323-14313024-5DUR5O5ID0FMAGA88BVMR01M86|title=Proposed acquisition of Private Internet Access|date=2019-11-19|agency=Regulatory News Service|work=Financial Times|publisher=Nikkei, Inc.|url-status=live|archive-date=2021-01-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110115809/https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/full?dockey=1323-14313024-5DUR5O5ID0FMAGA88BVMR01M86|access-date=2021-05-19}}{{cite news|work=Globes|title=Teddy Sagi's Kape buying US digital privacy co LTMI|date=2019-11-19|access-date=2021-07-22|archive-date=2021-05-28|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528134329/https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-teddy-sagis-kape-buys-us-digital-privacy-co-ltmi-1001307786|url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-teddy-sagis-kape-buys-us-digital-privacy-co-ltmi-1001307786}} Lee co-founded Mt. Gox Live, a bitcoin price tracker that was later acquired by the now-defunct bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox.{{cite web|title=Interview with Andrew Lee of Private Internet Access|publisher=GNOME Foundation|date=2013-09-23|access-date=2021-05-19|url-status=live|url=https://foundation.gnome.org/2013/09/23/interview-with-andrew-lee-of-private-internet-access/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519175310/https://foundation.gnome.org/2013/09/23/interview-with-andrew-lee-of-private-internet-access/|archive-date=2021-05-19}}

In 2017, Christel Dahlskjaer, then the head of staff at Freenode, incorporated and transferred ownership of Freenode Limited to Lee;{{Cite web|title=PIA and freenode joining forces - freenode|url=https://freenode.net/news/pia-fn|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520054257/https://freenode.net/news/pia-fn|archive-date=20 May 2021|access-date=23 November 2019|website=freenode.net}} Dahlskjaer and Lee said the company was solely for funding the network and running the Freenode #live conferences.{{Cite web|last=Franceschi-Bicchierai|first=Lorenzo|date=19 May 2021|title=Developers Flee Open Source Project After 'Takeover' By Korean Crown Prince|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7ev8y/freenode-open-source-korea-crown-prince-takeover|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519190257/https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7ev8y/freenode-open-source-korea-crown-prince-takeover|archive-date=19 May 2021|access-date=19 May 2021|website=Vice|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Nardi|first=Tom|date=19 May 2021|title=Freenode debacle prompts staff exodus, new network|work=Hackaday|url=https://hackaday.com/2021/05/20/freenode-debacle-prompts-staff-exodus-new-network/|url-status=live|access-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520140204/https://hackaday.com/2021/05/20/freenode-debacle-prompts-staff-exodus-new-network/|archive-date=20 May 2021}} According to staff, they were not informed of the contents of the deal and were told that it would not affect Freenode's day-to-day operations, as the company only managed the conference and nothing else.{{Cite news|date=19 May 2021|title=Freenode IRC staff resign en masse, unhappy about new management|work=The Register|url=https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/19/freenode_staff_resigns/|url-status=live|access-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521043242/https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/19/freenode_staff_resigns/|archive-date=21 May 2021}} A dispute over changes Lee imposed in 2021 resulted in all of Freenode's 20 to 30 staff members resigning. This team went on to form a new network called Libera Chat.

According to Andrew Lee, Won Joon Lee, one of his distant relatives and grandson of a keeper of the House of Yi lineage, said that their clan was descended from Korean royalty; as the result, he was introduced to Yi Seok, a grandson of Emperor Gojong of Korea. Yi Seok is known as an active pretender to the former monarchy, but he has no male offspring, and he proposed adopting Andrew Lee as his heir.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-andrew-lee-became-the-crown-prince-of-koreaand-made-a-digital-kingdom |title=The Fresh Prince of Joseon: How a Crypto Mogul Became a Korean Royal Heir—and Formed a Digital Kingdom |first=Jeff |last=Yang |date=2024-02-03 |work=The Daily Beast |url-status=live|archive-date=2024-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215094139/https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-andrew-lee-became-the-crown-prince-of-koreaand-made-a-digital-kingdom }} In October 2018, Yi Seok declared Lee the crown prince of Korea at a ceremony in Los Angeles, attended by Bermuda premier David Burt, and city officials from Los Angeles and Jeonju.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3124523/real-life-k-drama-how-did-andrew-lee-go-tech|title=Real life K-drama: how did Andrew Lee go from tech entrepreneur to crown prince of Korea? Before he was named 'nominal emperor' Yi Seok's successor, he founded VPN service Private Internet Access – and made millions|first=Ken|last=Mendoza|date=2021-03-08|access-date=2024-09-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/29/californian-techie-becomes-korean-crown-prince-fairytale-twist/|title=Californian techie becomes Korean crown prince in fairytale twist|first=Nicola|last=Smith|date=2018-12-29|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=2021-05-19|url-status=live|archive-date=2021-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518085650/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/29/californian-techie-becomes-korean-crown-prince-fairytale-twist/}}{{cite news|last=Chung|first=Monica Younsoo|date=2018-10-27|title=Andrew Lee, the Prince of Korea plans launching Imperial Fund to invest for Korean small businesses|newspaper=Korea IT Times|access-date=2021-05-19|url-status=live|url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=86895|archive-date=2021-05-19|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210519193138/http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=86895}} Andrew Lee later took over Yi Seok's status as the claimant to the Joseon throne in 2022. By March 2022, Lee announced the founding of a "non-territorial successor state to the Joseon Empire", a cloud-based, blockchain-backed kingdom with himself as its ruler.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=The Royal Observer |date=2023-05-09 |title=A New Era of Royalty: Harnessing the Power of Sovereignty for Positive Change |url=https://www.theroyalobserver.com/p/new-era-royalty-harnessing-power-sovereigntyr-positive-change |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=The Royal Observer |language=en-US}} In June 2023, the government of Antigua and Barbuda released a statement establishing diplomatic relations with the "Joseon Cybernation".{{Cite web |title=Joseon |url=https://ab.gov.ag/pdf/Joseon_Cybernation.pdf |access-date=2024-08-25 |website= GOVERNMENT OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20250209185244/https://ab.gov.ag/pdf/Joseon_Cybernation.pdf|archive-date=February 9, 2025|language=en}}{{Cite web |last=jordan |date=2023-07-08 |title=Antigua and Barbuda Establishes Diplomatic Relations with Cyberstate |url=https://antiguanewsroom.com/antigua-and-barbuda-establishes-diplomatic-relations-with-cyberstate/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Antigua News Room |language=en-US}}

Andrew Lee was born in Indianapolis and raised in Carmel, a city in the Indianapolis metro area.{{cite news|last=Warren|first=Katie|date=2020-12-14|title=A South Korean royal couple just dropped $12.6 million on a sprawling southern California estate. Take a look at the lavish 20-acre property.|work=Business Insider|publisher=Axel Springer SE|url=https://www.insider.com/south-korean-royals-california-mansion-photos-2020-12|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210519153322/https://www.insider.com/south-korean-royals-california-mansion-photos-2020-12|archive-date=2021-05-19}}{{cite news|last=Tai|first=Crystal|date=2018-12-02|title=This is no K-drama: the fresh prince of South Korea is real royalty, and he's American|work=South China Morning Post|publisher=Alibaba Group|url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/2175439/no-k-drama-fresh-prince-south-korea-real-royalty-and-hes-american|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326052950/https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/2175439/no-k-drama-fresh-prince-south-korea-real-royalty-and-hes-american|archive-date=2021-03-26}} He enrolled in Purdue University and transferred to the University at Buffalo, but later dropped out to start working.

In 2020, Lee and his family moved to a mansion in Hidden Valley, Ventura County, California.{{cite news|last=Flemming|first=Jack|date=2020-12-01|title=South Korean royals shell out $12.6 million for a Thousand Oaks palace|work=Los Angeles Times|url-status=live|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-12-01/south-korean-royals-buy-thousand-oaks-home-12-6-million|access-date=2021-05-19|archive-date=2021-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217123136/https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-12-01/south-korean-royals-buy-thousand-oaks-home-12-6-million}}

In the afternoon of 18 November, 2022, J-Money, driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom registered to Andrew Lee, was shot and robbed by 2 men in Koreatown, Los Angeles.{{Cite web |last=Allah |first=Sha Be |date=2022-11-21 |title=The Source {{!}}ATL Rapper J Money Shot And Robbed While In Korean Prince's Rolls Royce |url=https://thesource.com/2022/11/21/atl-rapper-j-money-shot-and-robbed-while-in-korean-princes-rolls-royce/ |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=The Source |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Nevares |first=Gabriel Bras |date=2022-11-20 |title=J Money Shot And Robbed In Korean Prince's Rolls-Royce |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/451871-j-money-shot-and-robbed-in-korean-princes-rolls-royce |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=HotNewHipHop |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-11-22 |title=앤드루 이, 총격 피해 래퍼와 음원 발매 |url=https://news.koreadaily.com/2022/11/21/society/generalsociety/20221121202212393.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Koreadaily - 미주중앙일보 |language=ko}} As of February 2023, the perpetrators have not been identified.{{cite news |title=Man shot and robbed of Rolex, jewelry near Koreatown; victim's Rolls-Royce linked to Korean prince |url=https://abc7.com/koreatown-shooting-rolex-robbery-jewelry-theft/12470625/ |access-date=November 19, 2022 |work=ABC7 |date=November 19, 2022 |language=en}} Andrew Lee, under the rapper name KingLee, appeared on J-Money's album titled "Dun It All".{{Cite web |title=@JermaineMiller_ |url=https://twitter.com/JermaineMiller_/status/1586290227882106880?s=20 |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=Twitter |language=en}}

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-hou|House of Yi|December|1983|}}

{{s-pre}}

{{s-bef|before=Yi Seok}}

{{s-tul|title=Emperor of Korea|years=2021/2022 - present|reason=Empire abolished in 1910}}

{{S-non|reason=No designated heir}}

{{s-culture}}

{{s-break}}

{{S-non|reason=Title created}}

{{s-ttl|title=Ruler of the Joseon Cybernation|years=2023 - present}}

{{S-non|reason=No designated heir}}

{{s-end}}

{{House of Yi}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Andrew}}

Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:American people of Korean descent

Category:Bitcoin

Category:Businesspeople from Indiana

Category:Pretenders to the Korean throne

Category:Internet privacy

Category:Purdue University alumni