Andrew Lee is an American entrepreneur, software developer and writer. He is the founder of the VPN service Private Internet Access, which started in 2010. On 6 October 2018, Yi Seok, son of Prince Yi Kang, nominated him as a "Crown Prince" of Korea as a descendant of the House of Yi, the ruling royal house of Korea during the Joseon dynasty. Following his nomination of Crown Prince, he announced plans to launch an investment fund for Korean entrepreneurs and establish a free coding school in Korea. He also co-founded Mt. Gox Live which was acquired by Japan-based Mt. Gox, then the world's leading Bitcoin exchange, and built their official mobile application. Mt. Gox closed in 2014.
Biography
Lee was born and raised in Indianapolis, he says his parents never disclosed their royal relations, so he only learned about his connection through a passing reference from a relative. His father provided him with a computer when he was a child, which began interest in the internet, and he learning more about it through meeting people online on IRC chat rooms. He enrolled in Purdue University and transferred to University at Buffalo, but eventually dropped out of school to start work on the internet. In 2009, he built London Trust Media, Inc. LTM, a private holdings company. Lee founded Private Internet Access in 2010, which is the largest brand owned by London Trust Media. PIA was started because of Lee's interest in IRC, in order to protect one's IP address from exposure using an IRC bouncer. Eventually after being exposed to different industries, he realized it was time for internet privacy to go mainstream. He also cofounded and sold many startups. One of his bitcoin ventures includes Mt. Gox North America, Inc., which was acquired by Tibanne Co. Ltd. in early 2011. Andrew contributes to online publications. Including FOL which is the online magazine of Rick Falkvinge, the founder of the Pirate Party. A few years before 2018 Lee met Yi Seok and the two got along so well Yi Seok decided to make him prince. A “passing of the sword” was held at the Crustacean Beverly Hills, a high-end Vietnamese seafood restaurant in Los Angeles. “I will commit to the values of love, human rights, peace and freedom for humanity to the best of my ability,” Lee swore on a ceremonial sword. Attendees included officials from Jeonju, the family's ancestral home; Los Angeles city council members David Ryu, Nury Martinez and Marqueece Harris-Dawson; and Bermuda Premier David Burt.
