German prosecutors have revealed that two men were detained earlier this month for allegedly attempting to blackmail the family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher. The suspects, a father and son from Wuppertal, aged 53 and 30, reportedly claimed to possess files that could be damaging to the family if made public. They demanded several million euros in exchange for not releasing the files on the darknet.
As a form of proof, the suspects sent some files to the family, although the exact contents were not disclosed by prosecutors. Thanks to investigative efforts and technical measures, authorities were able to locate and apprehend the suspects on June 19 in Gross-Gerau. Both individuals are currently in custody and face potential penalties of a fine or up to five years in prison if convicted.
Michael Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion, suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident in 2013 and has since been receiving private care at his family home in Switzerland. The 55-year-old retired from F1 in 2012 after a highly successful career that included 91 race wins and seven world titles.
In a separate incident, Schumacher's family recently won a legal battle against a magazine that published an AI-generated interview with the racing icon. The magazine, Die Aktuelle, falsely claimed to have conducted the interview with Schumacher, using artificial intelligence to generate responses attributed to him. The family successfully challenged the publication in court, highlighting the importance of upholding the integrity of information related to public figures.
