Yolo Group Founder Sues for Millions After Failed Kidnapping in Estonia

Tim Heath, who started the crypto-gaming giant Yolo Group, has begun a civil case asking for more than €3.2 million ($3.7 million) after he escaped being kidnapped in Tallinn last summer. People are calling this case, which has been filed in Estonia’s Harju County Court, one of the biggest requests for money in the country’s recent court history.

Crypto Casino Founder Wants €3.2M for Security Costs and Trauma After Failed Abduction

The well-known businessman wants money back for the big security costs he paid after what happened. His lawyers also want extra money to make up for how upset he felt, but the court will decide exactly how much. Heath’s attorney, Lembit Tedder, says that other cases around the world hint that €1 million ($1.2 million) would be fair to ask for to cover the emotional toll on the Australian businessman.

The attack happened on July 29, 2024, in Tallinn’s historic Old Town center. Four people, who claimed to be painters, tried to kidnap Heath from his apartment building’s stairwell. The suspected kidnappers planned to take him to a bog about 65 kilometers from the city, maybe to ask for money. However, Heath fought back, hurting one of the attackers, which made the group run away.

The police found two suspects after one left a passport in a rental car booked through Bolt. They also found a rural hideout that the group had rented on Airbnb beforehand. Two Azerbaijani suspects were caught abroad and sent back to Estonia. The other two have not been caught yet.

Heath Pushes for Asset Freeze as Kidnapping Case Expands

Heath’s lawyers asked the court to freeze all known assets of the four men to secure the claim. If the remaining suspects are caught, the lawsuit will change to include them.

Defense lawyers have called the civil lawsuit excessive. One described the claim as “utopian,” while another expressed confidence that his client would be cleared in the end, reported Eesti Ekspress.

Heath, once a key player in Estonia’s business scene and backer of local cricket growth, has moved away from the area after the ordeal.

His Yolo Group, however, keeps making headlines in the global crypto-gaming world. Heath was not the only high-profile stakeholder in the gambling world to be targeted by kidnappers. Last year, online betting businessman Andrey “TTR” Nikolaev also narrowly escaped a violent abduction.

On his way home from working out in Portugal, Nikolaev came under attack by four masked individuals who tried to push him into a van using pepper spray. He succeeded in beating them off and later posted pictures of his wounds on Telegram.