About “Horiemon,” who shocked Japan with his fraud

 

Takafumi Horie, known as “Horiemon,” is a famous Japanese businessman. When he was a university student, he founded an internet company called Livedoor and grew it into a large business. He was often featured in the media, and many people praised him. His popularity on the internet was especially strong.

However, in 2006, he was arrested for fraud. He used the false financial data to make his company look more successful than it really was. By making the company’s value look higher and using it to buy other companies, he deceived society. The court judged his actions to be serious and sentenced him to two and a half years in prison. This case shocked many people who had admired him.

When he entered prison, he broadcast the moment live and continued writing blogs through his staff. He was criticized for showing no regret, such as appearing with a mohawk hairstyle when he appeared at the police station.

Today, Horie remains very active. He writes books, appears on television, starts school, and works on space-related projects. Even after a major failure and strong public criticism, he continues to move forward. I think this shows a level of courage that most people do not have.

Both Anna Delvey’s case and Horie’s case show that when people become blinded by money, they can easily deceive others. It made me wonder whether I could stay honest if I ever gained a large amount of money myself.