Piotr Szczerek may have thought his money could save him from social media’s wrath, but he was surely mistaken.
Footage taken at the US Open allegedly showed the millionaire CEO snatching a souvenir hat away from a child.
The video captured a young boy positioned in the stands as Polish tennis pro Kamil Majchrzak signed autographs and took his hat off to offer it to the boy after his second round match on Friday. It was no doubt for the kid.
Before the boy could retrieve the item, Szczerek, who was quickly identified online, was seen snatching the hat out of Majchrzak’s hands.
The CEO from Poland was blasted as a “sack of garbage,” “common thief,” “primitive scammer,” and “shameful jerk.”
He certainly lived up to it when Piotr Szczerek released a statement that sounded like a man who was not ashamed of his behavior.
“Ah, yes, I took it. Yes, I did it in a rush. But as always, first come, first served is life.”
“If you were faster, you would have it… I remind you that insulting a public figure is subject to legal liability. All offensive comments, slander, and insinuations will be analyzed for the possibility of taking the matter to court.”
Social media ripped him a new one.
Millionaire CEO Piotr Szczerek Releases A Second Statement
A Polish paving company was bombarded with negative reviews and comments after its CEO was filmed snatching a hat from a young fan at a U.S. Open match last week.
Following the incident, internet sleuths quickly identified the man as Piotr Szczerek.
Szczerek’s first statement was downright terrible, and it only led to more backlash. He has since gotten it right the second time around.
Drogbruk said he was “convinced” tennis star Kamil Majchrzak had been “passing his hat in my direction.”
In a statement posted on Instagram on Monday, he wrote: “In the emotions, in the crowd’s joy after the victory, I was convinced that the tennis player was handing the cap in my direction—for my sons, who had earlier asked for autographs. This false assumption made me reach out instinctively.”
“I know I did something that seemed like consciously collecting a memento from a child,” he wrote in a statement. “This wasn’t my intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans.”
On Monday, the 50-year-old wrote on social media: “I would like to unequivocally apologise to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself.”
He added that he had given the hat back to the boy and hoped that it had “at least partially repaired the damage that was done”.
