In brief
- Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, has said she is fine for the foreseeable future due to her crypto investments.
- Since leaking Facebook documents to the press, she has moved to Puerto Rico.
Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager-turned whistleblower, told the New York Times she is “fine for the foreseeable future” because she “bought crypto at the right time.”
Since Haugen leaked the documents—collectively named the Facebook Files—to the Wall Street Journal, she has moved to Puerto Rico to handle a health condition, but also to join her “crypto friends.”
“For the foreseeable future, I’m fine, because I did buy crypto at the right time,” she told the New York Times.
Haugen did not disclose the specifics of any crypto-related investments she has made.
Last week, Politico reported that the former Facebook product manager was indirectly being financially aided by Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay.
Luminate, Omidyar’s philanthropic organization, is reportedly handling Haugen’s press and government relations in Europe, while the eBay founder’s foundation reportedly gave $150,000 to Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit that is providing Haugen’s legal representation.
However, Haugen told the New York Times she “has accepted help from nonprofit groups backed by Mr. Omidyar only for travel and similar expenses.”
The Facebook Files
Haugen leaked thousands of Facebook documents implicating the social media giant in a plethora of controversies.
These ranged from weak responses to COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, to poor handling of political lies such as former President Trump’s claims about election fraud in 2020.
The leaks also revealed that Facebook responded poorly to employee concerns about human trafficking and that the social media giant knew Instagram was “toxic” for teenagers.
Haugen claimed the documents proved that Facebook prioritized “growth over safety,” while Facebook alleged the leaks were misleading.