Carl Lundstrom, the co-founder and early financial backer of the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, died after his small plane crashed into a wooden cabin in the Slovenian mountains. He was 64.
Lundstrom was piloting his Piper Mooney Ovation M20R from Zagreb, Croatia, to Zurich, Switzerland, when the aircraft went down on Monday, March 10, 2025, in the Velika Planina mountain area in northern Slovenia. According to multiple reports, he was the sole occupant of the plane.
“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.
Poor weather conditions hindered rescue efforts, preventing teams from discovering the body and parts of the plane inside the cabin until Tuesday, AFP reported. The plane split into two upon impact with the wooden structure.
Local media website reported that the aircraft likely crashed due to spatial disorientation in bad weather conditions. The plane reportedly began spiraling downward from an altitude of approximately 1.6 miles before the fatal impact.
Lundstrom was best known for his early involvement with The Pirate Bay, a website founded in 2003 that allowed users to circumvent copyright fees while sharing music, movies, and other files. His telecommunications company, Rix Telecom, provided vital infrastructure, services, and equipment to the controversial file-sharing platform from its launch until 2005.
The Pirate Bay quickly gained popularity, reaching one million unique users by May 2006, the same month Swedish police first raided its servers. Despite numerous legal challenges globally, the website has continued to operate in various forms.
In 2009, when The Pirate Bay was put on trial, Lundstrom was one of four defendants charged with being an “accessory to breaching copyright law.” He was convicted, initially sentenced to one year in prison, and ordered to pay approximately $3 million in damages. Following an appeal, his prison sentence was reduced to four months, though the fine was increased. Lundstrom maintained he was not involved in the website’s day-to-day operations, providing only technical infrastructure through his company.
Beyond his tech ventures, Lundström was heir to Wasabröd, a renowned Swedish company founded by his grandfather, Karl Edvard Lundström, in 1919. Wasabröd is celebrated for its crispbread, a traditional Swedish snack staple in many households. Under the Lundström family’s stewardship, the company expanded its reach, establishing bakeries in Filipstad and launching exports to international markets. Today, Wasabröd operates as a subsidiary of the Italian food producer Barilla Alimentare S.p.A., continuing its legacy of producing high-quality crispbread enjoyed worldwide.
Lundstrom was also active in Swedish politics throughout his life. He financed the Swedish Progress Party in 1991, which later merged with the Sweden Democrats. In 2018, he joined the Alternative for Sweden party, where he served as a district manager, according to Euronews. A journalist referred to Lundstrom as “one of the Swedish opposition’s most significant and fearless veterans,” according to a media outlet.
Lundstrom ran unsuccessfully for the Church Assembly election in 2021 as an Alternative for Sweden party member. According to consequence.net, this party supports policies including mass deportation of immigrants and restrictions on same-sex marriage and adoption.
Lundstrom’s passing marks the end of a controversial and impactful life. His legacy continues to shape the conversations around internet freedom, the complexities of copyright laws, and the ongoing issues of digital piracy. His influence in these areas remains significant despite the legal and political battles.
