Pablo Escobar's litigious brother is suing Apple over alleged smartphone vulnerabilities. And he's seeking an obscene amount of money.
According to TMZ, Roberto Escobar has filed a $2.6 billion—yes, billion—lawsuit against the tech giant, claiming the security flaws of his iPhone X put his life in danger. The 73-year-old Colombian says he purchased the device in spring 2018, after an Apple employee reassured him the iPhone X was the most secure phone on the market. The complaint states Escobar later received a threatening letter from a man named Diego, who claimed he found Escobar's address by hacking into the FaceTime app. He allegedly conducted his own investigation and determined his device was compromised.
Escobar claims he had to relocate and increase his security out of fear for his safety—expensive measures that also put a toll on his mental state.
In addition to the billion-dollar lawsuit, Escobar has also launched a 24 karat gold-plated iPhone 11 that is available to purchase for only $499. He reportedly told the outlet it was one of the several ways he was sticking it to Apple.
"The Official Escobar Gold 11 Pro smartphone is the real APPLE KILLER phone," reads the description of the device's online commercial. "Rest In Peace Apple, Pablo always wins. This is an incredible phone, at a competitive price. This is an authentic, original Apple iPhone 11 Pro, comes with a luxury wooden, headphones, and charger."
Escobar has also rolled out a website, RipApple.com, that will reportedly prove "how the people of the world were scammed by Apple Inc, buying crap for crazy prices." He told TMZ that if he wins his case against Apple, he will donate all of the money to everyone who ever purchased an iPhone.
This isn't the first time Escobar has attempted to sue a major company. In 2017, he reportedly filed a $1 billion copyright lawsuit against Netflix, which distributes the scripted drama Narcos based on Pablo Escobar's life. He also threatened to slap Elon Musk with $100 million lawsuit, claiming the Tesla CEO stole his idea for a "flamethrower."
