The hacker behind University of Pennsylvania's massive data breach just revealed their real motive wasn't anti-DEI activism – it was cold, hard cash. Speaking exclusively to The Verge, the perpetrator claims they're sitting on 1.2 million lines of stolen donor data they plan to sell before going public. This isn't your typical hacktivist operation.
The hacker behind last week's devastating University of Pennsylvania breach just shattered assumptions about their motives. In exclusive Signal messages to The Verge, they revealed this wasn't ideological warfare – it was a straight-up heist targeting ultra-wealthy donor databases.
"Our main goal was to get the wealthy donor database," the hacker told reporters via encrypted messaging. That inflammatory email about hiring "morons" and "unqualified affirmative action admits"? Just "a fun rant" sent after they'd already stolen what they came for, according to the perpetrator.
The timing couldn't be more damaging for Penn. The breach exposed internal talking points about former president Liz Magill's congressional testimony – the same appearance that led to her resignation after fumbling questions about antisemitic speech on campus. Now those private strategy documents are circulating on underground forums.
But it's the donor data that represents the real prize. Samples verified by The Verge contain emails, phone numbers, home addresses, donation histories, and even religious affiliations of Penn's wealthiest supporters. The hacker claims their database reaches back decades, showing birthdates from the 1920s and marking deceased donors.
Among the high-profile victims: former President Joe Biden and multiple family members, all listed in what appears to be Penn's comprehensive donor tracking system. The hacker specifically targeted "UHNWIs" – ultra-high-net-worth individuals – explaining that universities with massive endowments were natural hunting grounds.
"We selected Penn because it was an easy target with a fairly weak authentication system," they admitted. The confession points to fundamental security failures at an institution managing billions in donations and handling sensitive alumni data.
Zack Ganot, CEO of DataBreach.com, confirmed the legitimacy after reviewing samples: "The samples leave little room for doubt: this was no email spoof. They reflect genuine access to internal, confidential Penn materials, including recently created files."
