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for background: he's only 21, and he started the website at 14

Indeed. But that doesn't really matter in the eyes of the law, he's no longer a minor. If he had been a bit more clever he would have stopped doing any of that the day he turned 18.

It is not about law enforcement either. It's about debating whether he's the sharpest tool in the shed or not. I contend that running such a criminal enterprise is no easy feat for a teenager despite the rookie mistakes he committed.

It's not easy: that's why he got caught. And he got caught primarily because he started a criminal enterprise, which makes him not the sharpest tool in the shed, if he would have been he would have turned his talents to something both more lucrative and legal.

in a poor country where the average person makes < 1000 EUR per month, how do you come up with 0.5M at 21?

You probably won't. But 0.5 M at 21 through illegal means is easy: just rob a money transport and call it a day, after all: who cares if you are going to be a criminal anyway.

How you are going to legally come up with money is the question and there are no real shortcuts there other than to get lucky. But with his skills properly applied he would have a much better chance at a nice life than he has today. Money doesn't really matter much if you're in a jail cell.

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