Former security guard of Michael Schumacher, Markus Fritsche, allegedly planned to extort $15.1 million from the driver’s family after being informed he would be dismissed.
Fritsche, who was hired 18 months before Schumacher’s skiing accident, had privileged access to the driver’s medical details and personal life. He reportedly teamed up with his friend Yilmaz Tozturkan and Tozturkan’s son, an IT specialist, to carry out the extortion plan.
The scheme involved more than a thousand personal photos, medical records, and around 200 videos of Schumacher, which were stored on devices such as USB drives and hard drives. The driver’s family was threatened with the release of this information on the dark web unless they paid the demanded ransom of $15.1 million.
Schumacher, who was severely injured in 2013 and requires constant care, has stayed out of the public eye. The security guard, who was trusted by the driver’s wife, Corinna, reportedly became bitter after the family’s decision to dismiss him, motivating his crime. Authorities in Germany are investigating the case.
Photo: Instagram @michaelschumacher | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team