CEO of world champion esports team apologizes for partying with alleged human trafficker

pcgamer.com:

Carlos Rodriguez, the CEO of esports organization G2, has apologized and temporarily stepped down from his position after sharing a video(opens in new tab) of himself partying with right wing social media personality Andrew Tate.

Tate is under investigation by Romanian police in connection to rape and human trafficking charges. According to Romanian newspaper Gândul(opens in new tab), Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan's villa was raided by Romanian police in April. Police for the county of Ilfov were notified by the American Embassy that a US citizen may have been detained by the brothers. No arrests have been made, and Tate claims that the raid was a swatting incident. The case seems to remain open, and the Romanian police do not appear to have corroborated the swatting claim.

Tate is perhaps more famous for his «manosphere» social media presence, which was recently moderated off most social media platforms, as well as «Hustler's University,» a paid collection of online courses on making money. According to The Guardian(opens in new tab), one piece of advice included in a Hustler's University class on social media advised «What you ideally want is a mix of 60-70% fans and 40-30% haters. You want arguments, you want war.»

On September 17, Rodriguez shared a phone camera video to Twitter of a celebration for G2's League of Legends team qualifying for worlds. A circle of individuals can be seen passing champagne bottles and sparklers, including Tate, clearly visible in the center of the group.

The post drew attention and controversy. Rodriguez initially doubled down, tweeting(opens in new tab) that «nobody will ever be able to police my friendships, I draw my line here». The CEO concluded by saying «I party with whoever