Andrew Tate got rich selling misogyny. Now he's fighting human trafficking charges.

• 2 months ago
• Radio
• Duration 47:00

Although there are plenty of disturbing personalities on social media, few are as vicious, and as influential, as Andrew Tate. Tate, who began his career as a professional kickboxer, rose to prominence in the late 2010s as a social media influencer and self-described misogynist. On TikTok, his videos have been viewed billions of times, mostly by young men.  Over the last couple of years, as Tate’s influence has spread, a growing body of evidence has emerged that his digital empire wasn’t just corrosive – it may have been criminal. In 2023, Romanian authorities charged Andrew Tate, and his brother Tristan, with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal organization to sexually exploit women.  But before any of that came to light, two journalists received a tip about Tate back in 2019. That tip would send Jamie Tahsin and Matt Shea on a four year odyssey into the bizarre and disturbing subculture of Andrew Tate’s manosphere, which they document in their new book Clown World.  Feedback for us? You can email us directly at crimestory@cbc.ca.