Teen tracking Elon Musk's jet now goes after Russian oligarchs with new Twitter bots
Jack Sweeney, 19, uses legal websites that track aircraft transponders
Teen tracks Russian oligarchs' private jets as Ukrainian conflict intensifies
Jack Sweeney discusses his tracking bot on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
After gaining national attention for launching a Twitter bot that tracks the movements of Elon Musk's private jet, University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney is at it again – this time going after Russian oligarchs.
After gaining national attention for launching a Twitter bot that tracks the movements of Elon Musk's private jet, University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney is at it again – this time going after Russian oligarchs. (Photo courtesy of Jack Sweeney/Allen Tedder - Tedder Photography)
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Sweeney, 19, uses legal websites that track aircraft transponders and his own IT and coding skills to make the bots.
Sweeney launched a new account, @RUOligarchJets, on Saturday, which is currently tracking over a dozen jets, including those owned by Russia's wealthiest person, Vladimir Potanin, Chelsea soccer team owner Roman Abramovich and Alexander Abramov, the head of the country's largest steel producer, Evraz.
In addition, Sweeney launched a separate account called @PutinJet. However, he warned that it may not be accurate, noting "there are a dozen VIP Russian planes, and ADS-B coverage isn't great in Russia."
The @RUOligarchJets account has about 154,000 followers and the @PutinJet account has over 29,000 followers as of the time of publication. The accounts do not reveal who actually may be on the flights or other critical information that would be needed by intelligence agencies.
"I launched [the accounts] because people had asked me to track them as they knew I had the capability to do so," Sweeney told FOX Business. He noted that he has not been contacted by the U.S. or Ukrainian governments about the accounts.
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In January, Sweeney said he turned down Musk's $5,000 offer to stop tracking his jet. Sweeney received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to track Musk's plane using the @ElonJet account, which has amassed over 389,000 followers to date. Sweeney asked Musk to up his offer to $50,000 plus an internship, which Musk reportedly declined.
FOX Business' Ken Martin contributed to this report.