TOKYO, JAPAN: One of YouTube's most prominent content creators, PewDiePie once revealed why his "wish" led to a police investigation. For one of his videos, the YouTuber chose to buy a few goods from the prominent online retailer 'Wish' — a website that is frequently chastised by netizens for selling claimed knock-off merchandise.
With nearly a decade of videos to show for his 111 million fans, PewDiePie is an independent content creator. In his videos and live broadcasts, Swedish YouTube star is regularly seen flipping about what looks to be a butterfly knife as a fidget toy.
'I shouldn’t have done that'
A 'balisong,' another name for a butterfly knife, was one of his Wish purchases. What appeared to be a routine purchase turned out to be an illicit internet transaction for the Swedish YouTube sensation. PewDiePie said in a video that he was approached by law enforcement agents after purchasing a balisong from Wish – an item that is not forbidden from sale on the site.
The YouTuber explained, “I had the great idea [of] trying to buy a balisong because I like them. They’re fun to play with. It’s awesome. Well, don’t do that. Do not buy a balisong.” He added, “The cops came to my house and they told me I was bad and I shouldn’t have done that. So, I am sorry. Ya boy’s got a criminal record! Let’s go!”
He stated that the incident "stressed him out" and caused him to buy several fidget toys of a different (and far less lethal) variety, some of which he surprisingly appreciated. Overall, it appears that PewDiePie had a good time with his Wish haul... even if he couldn't get the balisong he wanted to begin with.
'The worst thing I've ever done to someone'
During a livestream, the YouTuber revealed his "robbery" plans while making a sad confession regarding his early gaming career. The early years of gaming evolution were dominated by a small number of titles. One such game was the CipSoft's "Tibia" from 1997. PewDiePie fans may recall the streamer's frequent mention of Tibia. The YouTuber, at the time, executed full-fledged scams using gaming assets. And it was not just adolescent fun, but larceny, as the streamer described it.
In a candid confession, the content creator, who was born in Sweden, said he was well-versed in the Tibia craze that swept his country back in the day. People used to sell and buy Tibia assets on eBay for real money. Surprisingly, it was a substantial eSports trade contributor in the early days of gaming.
PewDiePie admitted to the uncommon crime, saying, it was "the worst thing I've ever done to someone." He added, "Tibia was so popular in Sweden, where I grew up. People would write on the Swedish eBay to buy specific items for real money. I found someone interested in buying an item that I had. So I would tell him to meet up at a net cafe. The thing was that we had installed a keylogger on the computer which basically meant we could get his password and login. I logged in and sent my item back. So, basically, this is like theft pretty much. I assume this is like robbery. My friends were with me."
