The man who claims to own 85 percent of the largest social network on earth has left the country, citing pressure in connection to his high profile court case.
Paul Ceglia, whose multi-billion dollar legal battle with Facebook has survived lawyer changes and a checkered history of fraud, has moved to Galway, Ireland. Despite having a court date scheduled next week, Ceglia considers it his “best option,” blaming abusive tactics from Mark Zuckerberg himself as well as intense pressure from the national media
“As you know Zuckerberg has seemingly stopped at nothing to try and slander me during this case so far and part of that has been their use of private investigators not just to investigate me, but far beyond that to harass me and my family daily,” Ceglia told his hometown paper the Wellsville Daily Reporter in an email, discussing in detail a laundry list of reasons that prompted his departure from the U.S.
“From waking up to discover people hiding in a back field with binoculars, to being followed day-in and day-out by these guys, to coming home and finding a back window open that I know I personally locked causes what I can only say borders on paranoia and I refuse to let the bad guys win through intimidation tactics," Ceglia wrote.
Facebook declined FoxNews.com’s request for comment.
Ceglia has history in Ireland, having spent six years of his childhood in Corofin, according to Galway Bay FM, and promises the move won’t slow down his civil suit against Zuckergerg.
Ceglia sued Facebook in July 2010, alleging that a contract he struck with Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2003 entitled him to half the company.
Facebook, the world's No. 1 Internet social network with more than 500 million users, has said that Ceglia's contract is a forgery and has characterized Ceglia as an “inveterate scam artist.”
The company said last week in a court filing that it has uncovered “smoking gun” evidence, debunking Ceglia’s claims.