Gizmondo: The Insane Story Of The Handheld Gaming Console

Trending News: How Crashing An Enzo Unraveled A Bizarre Criminal Scheme

Why Is This Important?

Because one of the biggest crime stories of this century returns with harrowing new details. It’s Scarface meets The Wolf Of Wall Street — and it all really happened.

Long Story Short

Do you remember the crazy drama behind the Gizmondo handheld game? The wild, violent, ethically bankrupt criminal story of the men behind Gizmondo has been refreshed, with a brand new perspective offered from the people inside in their inner circle.   

Long Story

Here’s what went down: in February of 2006, a Swede named Bo Stefan Eriksson demolished his million-dollar Ferrari Enzo in Malibu, racing at speeds of over 200 mph. At first no one had any clue of the spectacular shit-show the accident was about to unravel, but a criminal investigation was launched when it was discovered the Enzo had been illegally imported and, thus, technically stolen.

By the time all the layers of Eriksson’s complex organization (centered around an over-hyped handheld gaming device named Gizmondo) had been pealed back, investigators discovered a conspiracy that had defrauded investors of almost $400 million, from London to Los Angeles.

Now, our friends over at The Drive, have managed to dig up some more dirt.

WIRED, Los Angeles Times, Vice, The Guardian and more have covered the story of the convicted Swedish gangster at length, but what makes The Drive’s angle unique is the contribution of several Gizmondo insiders. So it’s not just a reporter from the outside looking in, it’s the guys behind the debacle spilling some serious dirt on how the people running Gizmondo — especially founding partners Stefan Eriksson and Carl Freer — operated.

This new article tells some never-before-heard anecdotes about how exactly Eriksson and Freer manipulated investors using fashion models, supercars, and an over-the-top retail store on the most expensive street in London (e.g. they encrusted Swarovski crystals on the toilets). There’s insight on how they manipulated share prices through false press releases, and allegedly forged the signatures of Microsoft executives.

There’s also allegations of Gizmondo directors impersonating Department of Homeland Security agents; a 110-foot Palmer Johnson yacht used for illicit activities; copious amounts of drugs, weapons and violence; a giant named Torpedo; and one of the most ruthless shark stories you’ve ever heard.

Perhaps most importantly, the convoluted tale has never been told this in-depth. Yes, The Drive’s feature is long (nearly 10,000 words), but as divulged over seven chapters over the last two weeks — it came to a chilling climax this weekend — the entire tale is easily digestible in one sitting. And it’s almost impossible to put down. 

If you were one of the millions of people fascinated with the tale of Gizmondo when it transpired almost a decade ago, this new perspective will certainly paint a much bigger picture than you’ve ever read before.  

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Why isn’t this a movie yet? We heard Tom Hardy does a mean Swedish accent.

Disrupt Your Feed: Considering the attention the article has gotten, it seems that even after all these years the twisted saga of Gizmondo still fascinates readers worldwide.

Drop This Fact: Despite the arrest of Stefan Eriksson, no one else has ever been charged with any crimes surrounding the loss of hundreds of millions of investment dollars. Wall Street once again escapes unscathed.