Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

More Crime & Courts Stories»

FarmVille CEO Gets Restraining Order on Stalker

Former Russian stripper repeatedly visited his home

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 20, 2011 5:03 PM CDT

(Newser) – Another scary story under the category of tech entreprenuer stalkers: Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, head of the company that unleashed FarmVille and its offshoots on the world, had to get a restraining order last month against a female stalker, reports Business Insider. A judge agreed that Vera Svechina, described as an amateur filmmaker and former Russian stripper, posed a legitimate threat to Pincus and his family.

From the emails, voicemails, and blog posts detailed at Business Insider, it's easy to see why. Among other things, Svechina accused Zynga of stealing her family's idea for FarmVille, accused Google's founders of killing her dad, and wished "all the worst" on Pincus's children. She also reportedly showed up at his house regularly and threatened him, his wife, and the kids. Click to view a slideshow that documents those bizarre emails, voicemails, and blog posts. (Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg also needed a restraining order to keep a stalker at bay.)

Mark Pincus, CEO of social gaming startup Zynga, left, sits with Internet pioneer Marc Andreessen in this file photo. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

45%

38%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Zynga CEO's Stalker Also Snuck Into Google

Vera Svechina left behind angry letter, Russian-language book

(NEWSER) - The story just gets weirder. First, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus got a restraining order against amateur filmmaker/former Russian stripper Vera Svechina, who was reportedly stalking him. Now comes the news that Svechina also gained access to the inner offices of Google in March, leaving behind a Russian-language book and an angry letter addressed to Google's founders, reports Reuters . "It didn't make any sense," said a police rep of the letter. "They were the ramblings of somebody with some kind of condition." More»

Zuckerberg Gets Restraining Order Against Stalker

Man who begged for cash ordered to stay away from Facebook CEO

(NEWSER) - Mark Zuckerberg has obtained a restraining order against a man he says is stalking him both on Facebook and in real life. Pradeep Manukonda has been ordered to stay 300 yards away from Zuckerberg, his sister, and his girlfriend. Manukonda visited several Facebook offices attempting to ask Zuckerberg for money and was stopped by security outside Zuckerberg's home last month, law enforcement sources tell TMZ. More»

Howdy, Crazy FarmVille Addicts: Here's a New Vice

It's called CityVille, and Zynga has high hopes for it

(NEWSER) - Maybe there are people out there who don't know someone who is batspit crazy about FarmVille, and those people should count their blessings. For the rest of us, Zynga is in the next few weeks rolling out its newest iteration of online game crack, ingeniously titled CityVille. You guessed it: Users can build their own urban utopias, down to the skyscrapers and ports, reports USA Today. "It's Monopoly meets Main Street," says CityVille's general manager. More»

Zynga Blows $1.4M on CEO Security

With a decent chunk going to his own security company

(NEWSER) - Zynga CEO Mark Pincus must be a really important guy, because his company is spending a whopping $1.37 million on his personal security, the Wall Street Journal reports. Of that, $596,000 went to a company owned by—you guessed it—Pincus himself. In regulatory filings, the firm says it put security in place "due to specific threats" against Pincus. More»

No Pop in Zynga's IPO

Opens at $11 a share, then sinks below IPO price of $10

(NEWSER) - Maybe it's not such a great day to live in Farmville after all. Zynga's much ballyhooed IPO took a turn for the negative this morning. Though things seemed encouraging out the gate—shares opened on Nasdaq a dollar above its $10 initial public offering price—they sank below that price after just 10 minutes, hitting a low of $9.48. They're currently trading around $9.71. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

FarmVille CEO Gets Restraining Order on Stalker

Former Russian stripper repeatedly visited his home

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Mark Zuckerberg • stalker • restraining order • Farmville • Zynga • Mark Pincus • Vera Svenchina

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Zynga CEO's Stalker Also Snuck Into Google

Vera Svechina left behind angry letter, Russian-language book

Zuckerberg Gets Restraining Order Against Stalker

Man who begged for cash ordered to stay away from Facebook CEO

Howdy, Crazy FarmVille Addicts: Here's a New Vice

It's called CityVille, and Zynga has high hopes for it

Zynga Blows $1.4M on CEO Security

With a decent chunk going to his own security company

No Pop in Zynga's IPO

Opens at $11 a share, then sinks below IPO price of $10

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?