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Toxic image board 4chan faced boycotts and fleeing advertisers after being involved in several mass shootings, despite being identified as the source of the conspiracy theories that inspired the January 6 riots. Among them, I have been able to stay online for the last seven years. In part, he received a $2.4 million investment from a major Japanese toy company.
The partnership deal, acquired exclusively by WIRED, not only shows how current site owner Hiroyuki Nishimura acquired the far-right message board, but also how the Japanese industry helped finance the deal. indicates whether
According to the text of the contract, Mr. Nishimura invested $800,000 of his own money and $4.8 million from the company, using cash from a major Japanese telecommunications company. But the most surprising part of the deal was by his Good Smile Company, which acquired his 30% stake in 4chan for a $2.4 million investment.
The contract was submitted by 4chan to investigators in the New York Attorney General’s Office as part of the agency’s now closed investigation into the May 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. WIRED obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.
These documents are the first to confirm the opaque corporate partnership that has run 4chan since its acquisition in 2015, along with increased scrutiny of the funds behind the long-running website. is.
That scrutiny may undermine the resolve to keep 4chan alive. According to Nishimura, Good Smile is in the process of ending his partnership with 4chan. This is because the company’s lucrative contract with The Walt Disney Company is due to end.
The investigation was launched at the request of Governor Kathy Hochul, who could face civil or criminal liability for 4chan “facilitating, facilitating, or providing a platform for planning and promoting violence.” asked to investigate whether The New York Attorney General’s Office has denied criminal charges against the website and its owner, but a spokesperson told WIRED that at least other law enforcement agencies are investigating the website.
The New York Attorney General is also seeking new legal tools to stop 4chan from facilitating terrorist attacks in the country. Understanding the website’s corporate structure is necessary for the website to comply with US law.
Good Smile, Bad Times
For years, Good Smile has effectively hidden its role on 4chan. The company may not be a household name in the US, but its Nendoroid collectible figures are a big deal for anime lovers. million), mostly driven by these little figures.
Good Smile produces licensed content for various major brands from major manga series. advancing Giants video games like assassin’s creed and cinematic matrixBut Good Smile’s biggest licensor is undoubtedly Disney. The company sells numerous toys and figures from Disney properties, including Spider-Man, Buzz his Lightyear, and Mickey Mouse.
In recent years, Good Smile has expanded into content production in cooperation with various animation and film studios, opened an online wholesale company in China and elsewhere, and even sponsored a Super GT racing team.
In 2021, former employees of Good Smile’s Los Angeles office were embroiled in a legal dispute over their employment futures and filed a counterclaim against the company. was responsible for the distribution of explicit anime products and merchandise (“lolicon”), and, unbeknownst to his family-friendly corporate partners, claims to have funded 4chan.
