4chan creator Christopher Poole sells infamous message board to Japanese entrepreneur

After 11 years, Christopher Poole is finally selling 4chan. The announcement comes months after Poole said he would be stepping back from the site.

He is handing the site over to Hiroyuki Nishimura, founder of Japanese message board 2Channel, according to the New York Times.

Poole started 4chan when he was 15 years old. Since then, the project has amassed 20 million monthly visitors without the help of investor funding. It’s also developed a reputation as a dumping ground for hacked data and a safe haven for bullies. Like many message boards, 4chan is controversial, and advertisers have been wary of placing their ads alongside some of 4chan’s more salacious content.

Still, some, like Nishimura, believe its large audience has potential in terms of monetization.

Poole didn’t disclose the financial details of the deal, except to say he won’t have an active role in 4chan going forward. This is consistent with his role prior to the acquisition. In January, he asked 4chan’s lead developer, system administrator, and managing moderator to take over his responsibilities so he could focus on other projects.