View source for Andrew Lee (entrepreneur)

{{Short description|Korean-American entrepreneur}}
{{family name hatnote|Lee||lang=Korean}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Andrew Lee
| image        = AndrewLee 5207 02.jpg
| birth_place  = [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]], United States
| spouse       = Nana Lee
| house        = [[House of Yi|Yi]]
| father       = Jay Lee (born in [[Jeonju]])<ref>{{Cite web |last=Korea |first=The Imperial Family of |title=Andrew Lee Named New Korean Crown Prince |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/andrew-lee-named-new-korean-crown-prince-300731986.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Andrew Lee Named New Korean Crown Prince |url=https://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/Andrew+Lee+Named+New+Korean+Crown+Prince/14710075.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=StreetInsider.com |language=en}}</ref>
| caption      = Lee in 2011
| succession   = Head of the [[House of Yi]] <br /> (disputed)
| reign        = 2021 or 2022{{efn|According to archives of Yi Seok's website, he [[abdicated]] to Andrew Lee some time between the 9th of December 2021 and the 17th of January 2022<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-17 |title=Imperial Family of Korea |url=https://imperialfamily.kr/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117050015/https://imperialfamily.kr/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-01-17 |access-date=2025-02-20 }}</ref>}}&nbsp;– present
| succession2  = Sovereign{{efn|Andrew Lee, unlike his predecessor, does not style himself as an emperor, but rather as a king. This is despite the use of the term "Joseon Empire", which is historiographically incorrect.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Code Of National Governance |url=https://www.joseon.com/l/en-US/about/code-of-national-governance |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Joseon |language=en}}</ref>}} of the {{Infobox website
|embed=yes
| name = [[Joseon]] Cybernation
| url = {{URL|https://www.joseon.com}}
}}
| reign2       = 2023&nbsp;– present
| predecessor  = [[Yi Seok]]
| module       = {{Listen voice|embed=yes|filename=AndrewLee_2mins.ogg
|title=Andrew Lee's voice
|type=speech
|description= Andrew Lee talking about [[Mt. Gox]] Live
|recorded = 10 August 2011
}}
}}

{{use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
'''Andrew Lee''' (born December 1983)<ref name="CompaniesHouse2017">{{Cite web|title=Appointment of Director|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10308021/filing-history/MzE3MzI2MDg2NWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0|access-date=2021-05-20|date=2017-04-11|publisher=[[Companies House]]}}</ref> is a Korean American entrepreneur and the founder of the [[VPN]] service [[Private Internet Access]], which started in 2010. Lee is, in media, known as "Crown Prince of [[South Korea|Korea]]", as a [[pretender]] to the defunct throne of [[Joseon]] and the [[Korean Empire]] after being adopted by [[Yi Seok]], a grandson of Emperor [[Gojong of Korea]].

==Career==
{{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.<ref name="Eha2017">{{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}}</ref> He claimed to have started PIA because of his interest in [[Internet Relay Chat]] (IRC), whose users' [[IP address]]es could be easily revealed, but only after the [[Freenode]] purchase.<ref name="Searls2018">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="FT2019">{{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}}</ref><ref name="Globes2019">{{cite news|work=[[Globes (newspaper)|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}}</ref> Lee co-founded Mt. Gox Live, a [[bitcoin]] price tracker that was later acquired by the now-defunct [[bitcoin exchange]] [[Mt. Gox]].<ref name="Gnome2013">{{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}}</ref>

In 2017, Christel Dahlskjaer, then the head of staff at [[Freenode]], incorporated and transferred ownership of Freenode Limited to Lee;<ref>{{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}}</ref> Dahlskjaer and Lee said the company was solely for funding the network and running the Freenode #live conferences.<ref name="vice">{{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/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 (website)|Vice]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="hackaday20212">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="hackaday20212" /><ref name="register2021">{{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}}</ref> A dispute over changes Lee imposed in 2021 resulted in all of Freenode's 20 to 30 staff members resigning.<ref name="vice" /><ref name="hackaday20212" /> This team went on to form a new network called [[Libera Chat]].<ref name="vice" />

==Joseon Cybernation==
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.<ref name=yang>{{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 }}</ref> In October 2018, [[Yi Seok]] declared Lee the crown prince of Korea at a ceremony in [[Los Angeles]], attended by [[Premier of Bermuda|Bermuda premier]] [[Edward David Burt|David Burt]], and city officials from Los Angeles and [[Jeonju]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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/}}</ref><ref name="Chung2018">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In June 2023, the government of [[Antigua and Barbuda]] released a statement establishing diplomatic relations with the "Joseon Cybernation".<ref name=yang /><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Andrew Lee was born in Indianapolis and raised in [[Carmel, Indiana|Carmel]], a city in the Indianapolis metro area.<ref name="Warren2020">{{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}}</ref><ref name="Tai2018">{{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}}</ref> He enrolled in [[Purdue University]] and transferred to the [[University at Buffalo]], but later dropped out to start working.<ref name="Tai2018" />

In 2020, Lee and his family moved to a mansion in [[Hidden Valley, Ventura County, California]].<ref name="Warren2020" /><ref name="Flemming2020">{{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}}</ref>

In the afternoon of 18 November, 2022, [[J-Money (rapper)|J-Money]], driving a [[Rolls-Royce Phantom (seventh generation)|Rolls-Royce Phantom]] registered to Andrew Lee, was shot and robbed by 2 men in [[Koreatown, Los Angeles]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> As of February 2023, the perpetrators have not been identified.<ref>{{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=[[KABC-TV|ABC7]] |date=November 19, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Andrew Lee, under the rapper name KingLee, appeared on J-Money's album titled "Dun It All".<ref>{{Cite web |title=@JermaineMiller_ |url=https://twitter.com/JermaineMiller_/status/1586290227882106880?s=20 |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref>


==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{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=[[Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty|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]]