Carl Lundstrom, a notable co-founder and initial financier of the file-sharing platform The Pirate Bay, has died at age 64 following a plane crash in the Slovenian mountains.
Lundstrom was flying his Piper Mooney Ovation M20R aircraft from Zagreb, Croatia, to Zurich, Switzerland, when it went down on March 10, 2025, in the Velika Planina mountains of northern Slovenia. Reports indicate he was the sole individual on board.
“Lundstrom, a legend and veteran of Swedish nationalism, died in a plane crash on Monday,” the far-right Alternative for Sweden party wrote in a Facebook post confirming his death.
Adverse weather hampered rescue operations, delaying the discovery of his body and parts of the aircraft inside a wooden cabin until the following day, according to AFP. The aircraft reportedly broke apart upon impact with the structure.
Local media suggested that the crash was likely due to spatial disorientation caused by poor weather. The plane allegedly began a downward spiral from an altitude of approximately 8,400 feet before the crash.
Lundstrom was widely recognized for his initial role in The Pirate Bay, launched in 2003, which facilitated users in sharing music, movies, and other files, bypassing copyright fees. His company, Rix Telecom, played a crucial role in providing infrastructure, services, and equipment to the platform until 2005.
The Pirate Bay rapidly gained traction, amassing one million unique users by May 2006, the same month Swedish authorities first raided its servers. Despite ongoing legal challenges across the globe, the platform has found ways to continue its operations.
In 2009, Lundstrom was among four defendants tried as “accessories to breaching copyright law” related to The Pirate Bay. He was convicted, initially sentenced to one year in prison, and fined approximately $3 million. An appeal reduced his sentence to four months, although the fine was increased. Lundstrom asserted he was not involved in daily operations, only providing technical support via his company.
Lundstrom was also heir to Wasabröd, a Swedish firm established by his grandfather, Karl Edvard Lundström, in 1919. Wasabröd is known for its crispbread, a staple in Swedish households. Under the Lundström family, the company expanded with bakeries in Filipstad and exported internationally. Today, Wasabröd is a subsidiary of Barilla Alimentare S.p.A., an Italian food producer, continuing its legacy of high-quality crispbread production.
Politically active, Lundstrom funded the Swedish Progress Party in 1991, which later merged with the Sweden Democrats. He joined the Alternative for Sweden party in 2018, serving as a district manager. A journalist referred to Lundstrom as “one of the Swedish opposition’s most significant and fearless veterans.”
Lundstrom ran unsuccessfully for the Church Assembly election in 2021 as part of the Alternative for Sweden party. The party advocates for policies like mass deportation of immigrants and restrictions on same-sex marriage and adoption.
Lundstrom’s life, marked by controversy and influence, brings ongoing discussions about internet freedom, copyright complexities, and digital piracy issues. His impact in these fields remains notable despite legal and political battles.