4chan

Founded in 2003 by a then-15-year-old Christopher Poole, 4chan is the Wild West of the internet, known for its unfiltered, anything-goes mentality. Originally conceived as a haven for anime fans, it quickly devolved into a breeding ground for internet culture, infamous memes and digital anarchy. Notable for giving birth to Anonymous, the hacktivist collective, and the alt-right's toxic online presence, 4chan has etched itself into the annals of internet infamy. With a valuation as murky as its content moderation policies, 4chan is more notorious than lucrative. It’s faced numerous controversies, from facilitating online harassment to propagating conspiracy theories. Hiroyuki Nishimura, who bought the site in 2015, inherited a digital powder keg, constantly flirting with the boundaries of free speech and outright chaos. Despite its dubious reputation, 4chan's impact on internet culture is undeniable, for better or worse. It’s the place where Pepe the Frog was both born and defiled, where Gamergate reared its ugly head, and where countless memes have either thrived or died in obscurity. In the unruly, lawless landscape of online forums, 4chan stands as both a pioneer and a pariah, embodying the internet's darkest impulses and its unchecked creativity.