'Schumacher extortionists attempted to sell private photos for €20 million'
F1 News
- Nicole Mulder
Two suspects in the extortion case surrounding Michael Schumacher have pleaded guilty before a judge in Wuppertal, Germany. The third suspect, the family's former bodyguard who allegedly stole the private images and data, denied all involvement.
'Schumacher Extortionists Attempted to Sell Photos for €20 Million'
On the first day of the trial involving the alleged extortion of the Schumacher family, two suspects—Yilmaz T. (53) and his son Daniel L. (30)—pleaded guilty. Meanwhile, the family's former bodyguard has denied accusations of copying footage without permission.
The case has proven to be even more complex than initially believed. According to Germany's Bild, a witness claimed he was offered the footage for €20 million but reportedly countered with an offer of "only" €2 million. The witness later retracted his statement, allegedly due to threats from the sons of one of the suspects.
Earlier this year, the three men were arrested in connection with the blackmail scheme. A former family security guard, who had been tasked with digitising private photos, is alleged to have made the images accessible. Another individual and his son are accused of orchestrating the blackmail attempt.
The suspects are said to have made multiple phone calls demanding €15 million from the Schumacher family, threatening to publish the sensitive material on the dark web if payment was not made. During the ex-security guard's arrest, authorities seized a significant amount of evidence, including hard drives, USB sticks, and mobile phones containing the incriminating footage.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels, too!