Here’s a hot take no one’s talking about: Pablo Escobar’s brother is
suing Swedish fintech giant Klarna for €400k in Californian courts.
What Narcos didn’t tell you. Escobar Inc. – the company Pablo used to launder money – is now run by Pablo’s big bro Roberto and a Swedish exec called “El Silencio.” Mysterious.
Last year, the duo released the Escobar Fold 1 - an “unbreakable” gold phone they thought would “destroy” Apple (it didn’t). The Escobar phones were sold via Klarna, Europe’s biggest buy now-pay later platform.
One small problem. Most people who ordered the Escobar Fold
never got it. So Klarna quickly cut ties with Escobar Inc., and says it’s withholding €400k to give buyers refunds.
Escobar Inc., on the other hand, claims: (a) they’ve shown Klarna proof the phones were delivered; (b) Klarna’s clinging onto the cash unlawfully.
THE TAKEAWAY
I wouldn’t want to be enemies with an Escobar and a guy called El Silencio.
But Klarna doesn’t mind. A €400k lawsuit is chump change for a fintech unicorn valued at
$11 billion. Insiders even say the Escobar escapades are a running joke for Klarna employees.
Even so, Escobar Inc. might get the last laugh. Klarna’s currently prepping for an IPO and El Silencio has vowed to delay the listing by tying the company up in litigation.
Your move, Klarna.
Zoom out. For the sibling of a deceased drug lord, Roberto really loves to sue people:
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2016: sued Netflix for the series Narcos.
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2020: sued Apple over a security breach on his iPhone.
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2020: sued 2 Chainz over his Escobar-themed restaurant.