Hi Old_Amiga_cracker,
First it would be nice to know who you are. You seem to spawn from nowhere. I would be glad that after you receive my responses you take the time to present yourself.
Still I will respond to your questions now, without waiting for your answer, as after 20 years I think it’s time to rehabilitate some facts. I’ve read so much bullshit on the Web for a long time about so many decent groups and people with attitude, through a lot of distorted information, and this is something that quite hurts my beliefs and my values. I have been journalist and market intelligence analyst for more than ten years so you can understand why I love the facts, and in a certain manner, I’m just doing my job in responding to you all.
Lastly, before we start with Max, one thing which is worth mentioning to everybody here: I’m now working in the sphere of the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, so although I’m interested in rehabilitating some facts for historical purpose, I don’t and I won’t support cracks and warez in any ways. Today Piracy and counterfeiting are harming the economy growth and jobs more than drug trafficking (although for the latter it harms even more on the side of public health and safety, and through global crime derived from these activities). I have all the figures. Today big mafia is involved, so it doesn’t compare with oldschool youngsters of the 80’s and the beginning of the 90’s. Still, I recognize that as one of them, I’ve committed bad deeds with the consequences I’ve measured, so I’ve done a lot since then, and I will continue to support actively the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, in collaborating with governments, law enforcement and of course, with the right holders themselves.
Now after this… let’s call it a “disclaimer’… the historical facts.
Max and I were close friends. When we established the first contacts late 1991 and when we met at the beginning of 1992, we had complementary objectives. I wasn’t member of any groups anymore on the crack scene, just being organizer of Delight which at the time was mostly a representative figure on the demo scene. I was required to cut the links with my existing contacts on the crack scene, which I did (Max was not one of my existing contacts). I was also required to stop phreaking, pirating warez, etc. which I did. On the other hand I was left with a sense of unfinished work and felt the need to reach some of the goals I still had in mind. I just had to find the right way to do this while staying in a legal framework. I was studying law and I somewhat knew what to do, and what not to do.
At the same time Max was a member in the occasional-release, second-ranking group called Agile. I don’t remember if he told me he did something on the C64 before, but I have vague memories that he said he had one. Personally I came from the CPC 464 scene (a very small one, with its main roots in France) so I did not show much interest regarding this. By the way, I felt a huge potential in him to become a strong leader, as he was smart, square and quick reasoning, had a strong charism, and was very action-oriented. Agile was not a group for him, something which he did already know, so we both came to the conclusion that co-operating together would allow us to reach our respective next-level objectives.
Finally I gave him some training & advice when needed, based on my experience with oldschool groups since 1988, I told him that I didn’t want to take any organization responsibilities and he could do this better than me. The only things I was ok to do were original supplying (an original is not warez) and sharing my opinions through consulting and expertise. Lastly, I gave him some contacts on the scene and advice to reach some specific people matching with his ideas and projects.
The co-operation lasted from 1992 to mid-1993, when I had a/ reached my own objectives, b/ the sense that if I continued I would be involved in things I would neither control nor approve, and c/ the imperative need to resume my studies and build my personal life outside of the scene.
During that co-operation we both joined Fusion, then Crack Inc., then Skid Row, then we co-founded Interpol, and at last we re-founded Paradox (with Blackhawk, Babydock, Zool and Nuisance). We also contributed to TRSI & The Dream Team PC.
After I left Paradox at the end of June 1993, I remained friend with Maximilien. We continued to see each others, to go out in parties, etc. but I’ve never been involved in any of his businesses. He continued sometimes to ask me for advices, but he rarely followed them (as I often told him to reduce his activities, to watch out for this and that, etc.).
So now you have the global picture about how all of this started. Now your next specific questions:
>>> Who were their closest friends? <<<
I was. And I was still here when he came back from his 5 years 7 months jail time in the U.S. He was very affected, a bit lost and not the leader I used to know. But he has always been strong-minded, and he gained a lot of muscles as a pasttime in the U.S., which helped him recover. I remember he said that I was the only one who was still here and welcoming, but it was early after his release, and a few others have showed up in the subsequent weeks and months. At the very least, ED-209 and Monty, if I remember well.
Before we were in touch, I know that Twinblitz/Agile and Frantic/Abuse were among his close relations. I also knew both of them. We shared the same opinion about Twinblitz, that he could be unreliable and possibly dangerous. Frantic was a clever and gifted hacker, and I think Max learned some good tricks from him.
Max also knew Olivier / Quartex as they were both based in the same town: Marseille.
When he was active, most of the central Paradox members were his friends: Blackhawk, Babydock, Zool, Nuisance, Bomberman & Willy, ED-209, Monty, Lincoln… He also spoke often of Papillon in The Netherlands, with whom I had been in touch years before, I think it was at Quartex. Kimble was a story mixing business interests, strange friendship, and betrayal. He also had probably other friends whom I did not know or suspect. You should ask him if you want to know.
>>>What groups he was member of?<<<
I already responded to that.
>>>Did he use any other handles?<<<
Possibly, but not to my knowledge: Max, Maximilian, Maximilien (his true name). At the opposite, I used many, many handles, so if you see some credits of unknown people in Paradox intros, it might as well be me, or any other Paradox members. If you have something more precise in mind, please ask.
EDIT: Now that I double think of it, and if memory serves me well, there is another handle Max used when at least at Crack Inc. This handle was The Procurer.
>>>What about his arrests?<<<
Articles linked from Paradox wikipedia page are reliable. I don’t see what you want to know exactly.
>>>Was he a good leader/organizer?<<<
Yes, very good. The best I have known so far on the crack scene.
>>>Did he code or make any gfx or music?<<<
No. He hired some people to do that. For instance: Monty (music) and Ninja (code), Melon Dezign…
>>>Was he making really that much money?<<<
Yes, and possibly more than you can imagine with “that much”. Four special purpose entities in tax havens, is that talking to you?
>>>Was the scene that profitable?<<<
He was reaching far beyond the scene. That’s all I can say. I was no more involved in anything when he did that. I’ve never been involved in any business matters. I wasn’t here for the money. Nor for the fame. Indeed, I’ve always and only been interested in thrill, challenges and achievements.
>>>What was his relationship with Kim Schmitz?<<<
Mainly business. And faked friendship as when business is at the centre of everything. Here from what I know, I’d say that Max was probably the good guy, and Kimble the evil guy. One more thing: Kimble had “native” money, inherited from some family elders, while Max is entirely a self-made man with entrepreneurship skills, although I must admit that part of his family was above middle-class standards.
>>>Why he moved to Mallorca?<<<
The French Nintendo copiers’ affair. He was held in three-weeks preventive custody, enough for him to flee in Mallorca. And he had the money to afford the villa.
>>>Is true he paid crackers/suppliers and that some of them lived with him?<<<
Yes and no. Yes he paid crackers, suppliers and others, through various means: possibly money (never witnessed this, but seems logical), more often gifts (I have true stories but I will keep for myself), a lot of vacation trips to Mallorca, etc. The last responds to your second question. I don’t want to be ironical, but what is the use of an original supplier in Mallorca? Zero, so that sounds stupid. On the other hand many people came there, so he always had friends to go out partying with. And Mallorca is just next to Ibiza.
>>>What can you tell about his second arrest?<<<
Days before, he told me that he was going on a trip to the U.S. to arrange a CC deal. Once again I wasn’t involved with this. I didn’t use CCs anymore for a very long time. But he felt there was something wrong, and he did want some advice. Once more I heard the strange things and I told him to be very careful, and that Nintendo copiers could stand a good defence before the courts, but that he would be doomed with the CC business. Once again he didn’t listen to me, probably because of the attraction to the money involved, and everybody know what happened next. For the rest, read the newspapers.
>>>Rumours said the cards were not originally hacked, but just sold by a corrupted at&t/mci employee that was member of Skid Row (don’t remember the name but they were a couple).<<<
Never heard of Skid Row being involved. Kimble was.
For the rest don’t listen to rumours. Get the facts here:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usab4304.pdf
>>>What did he do after being released from jail?<<<
He recovered and took the time to restart enjoying freedom, and his life with family and friends. Anyone would have done the same in a similar fashion. Also before his jail time he was a serial seducer of women. After that, he finally found true love, married and had a child, or possibly several children now. But that’s another story.
>>>Is him the man behind MaxConsoles, The Supreme Factory and Divineo?<<<
Yes. Once again I tried to give him some legal advice. But money was, well… and for him I was becoming the same boring basher. So let him do what he wants to.
>>>We all have seen the paradox PS3 true blue dongle releases? Is he the man behind the PS3 true blue dongle?<<<
All… I haven’t seen this. I’m no more interested in anything related to crack, warez, etc. The last time I’ve seen Max was in the summer 2002, he invited me for vacation and lent me his appartment in Avignon during the Theatre festival. I was just pleased to see him as a friend, and we went out partying in the region.
Since I left Paradox in 06/1993 and even earlier (end of 1991), I haven’t had any warez or pirated software on any of my computers, I haven’t used P2P except for some legal porn, I haven’t used any cards or anything and I haven’t done anything illegal. Plus I’m now on the complete opposite side of the economy, in the camp of those who are fighting piracy.
Cheers and have a happy new year,
Yours,
François