Finnish hacker Julius Kivimäki, the mastermind behind the infamous 2010s attacks on Elon Musk’s Twitter and the PlayStation Network, is the subject of a new Max docuseries titled Most Wanted Teen Hacker, premiering this September.
From Cyber-Pranks to Global Chaos
A pulse-pounding 55-second teaser reveals that Kivimäki’s digital footprint was far more destructive than simple account takeovers. The documentary highlights how the teenager escalated his exploits to dangerous real-world levels, including forcing a passenger jet into an emergency landing—an act that triggered a high-level U.S. Air Force alert. FBI agents featured in the series detail how Kivimäki engaged in “swatting,” weaponizing police intervention against the families of law enforcement officers simply because he derived pleasure from causing suffering.
A Portrait of a Digital Villain
The four-part series promises a deep dive into the psyche of a man described by victims as a genuine movie-level villain. The production features interviews with a wide spectrum of perspectives, including fellow hackers, the FBI, SWAT team members, and the victims of his crimes. Notably, the incarcerated Kivimäki himself appears on camera, maintaining a chillingly detached demeanor as he dismisses the charges against him as “bullshit.” The intensity of the subject matter is underscored by an unidentified victim in the trailer, who openly vows to take lethal action against the hacker should they ever cross paths.
The Path to Incarceration
While the docuseries explores his early, headline-grabbing hacks, Kivimäki’s criminal history is extensive. By the time he reached his mid-teens, he had already orchestrated over 50,700 cyber break-ins between 2012 and 2013. His most heinous act, however, occurred in 2020 when he hacked the Finnish psychotherapy provider Vastaamo. He blackmailed thousands of patients by threatening to leak their private, sensitive records. This calculated cruelty eventually led to his 2024 sentencing, where he received six years and three months in prison.
As the series prepares to debut this fall, it aims to peel back the layers of a digital predator who operated with a cold, emotionless resolve, forcing viewers to confront the devastating real-world consequences of his high-stakes cyber warfare.
