It seems Wheeler is suffering from ‘anxiety’ and feels that owning a $500,000 Ferrari may be the only cure for it. However, Wheeler is not exactly that rich, more so, since he is a fugitive from law in Australia. From a different perspective, 20 year-old Wheeler appears to be thumbing his nose at authorities, asking for donors to contribute to a new Ferrari. “I need a Ferrari because of my anxiety, my doctor has said because of the FBI and police raids I am unable to function properly without a Ferrari,” he writes on the crowdfunding page. However, while he admitted “all jokes aside” that he was planning to use any money raised to buy himself a new car for his 21st, he said he has “been through a lot”. “My panic disorder is worsening and ultimately I’d just love to even if we don’t reach the goal, fund a reasonably nice new car,” he said. However his efforts have not borne any fruit so far as he has managed to collect only $175 so far out of the $500,000 crowdfunding goal. Wheeler, was only 17, when he and his hacking group allegedly hacked and stole at least $US100 million ($A108.2 million) worth of software and data from Microsoft, Valve and the US Army. He was under police radar following a joint international investigation into five suspected hackers, most of them US-based. Facing a possible prison sentence of ten years, Wheeler fled the country almost after three years later. Currently, residing in the Czech Republic, Mr. Wheeler told 7.30, “I left Australia because my case went on for about two to three years and it was getting nowhere.” Maybe you can understand Wheeler’s anxiety and help him overcome it by pledging some $$$ on his crowdfunding website!
