For many, this is a story that starts with a spat on Twitter. On one of those quiet days

between Christmas and New Year, Andrew Tate, an online influencer, tweeted the climate

activist Greta Tumberg, a picture of himself pouring petrol into a flashy bronze coloured

sports car. It came with a provocative message about the size of his emissions. Her response

sent the internet into meltdown. She basically said to him, I would love to know more, please

please email with the information. She took aim at his manhood with the email that she gave

him, which was small bleep energy at GetAlive.com. Some people suggested it was the Twitter

spat that led to what came next. Although the authorities deny it. But two days later,

Andrew Tate's very public on ravelling continued.

The controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate has been detained in Romania as part

of an investigation into human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group.

For many people around the world, this was their first introduction to Andrew Tate.

But online, he'd already built a huge influence operation with millions of followers who

support his own particular brand of toxic masculinity, which involves fights, fast cars

and violent misogyny. To get a sense of just how toxic some of these videos can be, we're

going to play you a tiny clip. But feel free to skip the next 10 seconds if you'd rather

not hear it.

Slap, slap, grab, choke, shut up bitch, sex. This is the basic moves of pimping.

So who is Andrew Tate? And how has he managed to influence so many young men? We speak to

one time's columnist who's met him. He knows what he's doing. He knows how to navigate

conversation. He's like your sort of nightmare internet debater who never stops.

You're listening to stories of our times from the times and the Sunday times. I'm Manvine

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