Gary Bowser, a hacker who was recently ordered to pay Nintendo 25-30% of his salary for the rest of his life, has described getting caught as a "blessing."
Bowser was caught for his involvement in a hacking group, reflecting on his arrest and the subsequent impact it had on his life.
Previously, Bowser, who shares a namesake with the famous Mario character, was involved in a hacking group called Team Xecuter, which focused on creating mod chips, cartridges, and jailbreaking software for gaming consoles.
During an interview, Bowser revealed his role with the group, stating that he mainly maintained their websites and facilitated communication between developers and beta testers.
He received a monthly salary of $500, along with additional income from website advertisements, which ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 per month.
However, Bowser's actions eventually caught up with him.
After leaving his home country of Canada to live in the Dominican Republic, he was arrested and sentenced to 40 months in prison in the United States.
After his release in 2023, he still owed Nintendo a substantial sum of $10 million in restitution, in addition to a $4.5 million fine.
To repay his debt, Bowser reached an agreement with Nintendo, allowing the company to deduct 25-30% of his salary.
He acknowledged that his arrest was actually a blessing, helping him confront personal issues related to excessive drinking and lifestyle habits.
"Life is path of choices, I made the wrong one, that is for sure, but in some ways I look at result now, after all this happened, as a blessing," the hacker said in an interview.
He also realized who his true friends were during his time in jail and has since reconnected with supportive individuals.
Since he can't find a steady job at the moment, Gary Bowser depends on the money he saved from his prison work, disability payments, and donations from a GoFundMe page to pay for his basic needs.
Although he has taken on some freelance website projects, he struggles to find substantial employment because he lacks updated certifications in technology.
"A lot of companies are looking for younger workers with latest certifications in technology, so I need to do some online courses to get more updated papers to match my skills," Bowser admitted.
Bowser admitted that paying off his debt to Nintendo within the foreseeable future seems unlikely.
He expressed that the financial burden will continue to impact his life for years to come unless he experiences a stroke of luck such as winning the lottery or securing a high-paying job.
However, he remains focused on rebuilding his life, prioritizing his health and well-being, and cherishing the support of his true friends.
