Andrew Tate rented supercars to fake wealth, lawyers claim in court filing

In one court filing, Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, said they used supercars and borrowed yachts to look "uberwealthy" and drive engagement on their social media platform.

The two dual citizens of Britain and the U.S., described by some as misogynistic influencers, were arrested in Miami in July when the British police requested their extradition on charges of raping, assaulting, and trafficking women for sexual exploitation. The men deny all charges.

According to the filing, which was submitted to a Miami court, the brothers' lawyers argue that the pictures of expensive yachts, supercars, and wristwatches are not an indication of their wealth.

The lawyers wrote: “Andrew and Tristan are social media personalities. Their business model depends on online attention. The outrageousness of the posts by them and about them is the point. The more hyperbolic and outlandish the post, the more likely it will generate views and likes, which in turn generates income. In short, they are playing a role.”

The lawyers explained that the $2.1m Aston Martin and Bugattis worth $5m and $7m used in Tristan's videos were hired. The "superyacht" which is seen in the promotional videos does not belong to the Tates but they have been paid to showcase it on their social media.

The document also highlighted the so-called "Mexican Passport" under the name "Vladimir Scorpius" as being nothing but "a cardboard prop used by Tristan as a Halloween costume." The Crown Prosecution Service has also brought 38 new charges against the brothers aside from 21 existing charges. These 38 new charges relate to the crimes committed by them between July 2010 and August 2017. Andrew Tate now faces seven more charges of rape, three charges of trafficking, and 19 charges regarding indecent images of children.