‘I do feel bad about this’: Englishman who posed as HyperVerse CEO says sorry to investors who lost millions

Exclusive: Stephen Harrison says he was paid to play role of chief executive of the crypto investment scheme but denies having pocketed' any of the money lost

The man who posed as the chief executive of the collapsed crypto scheme HyperVerse has confirmed he was paid to act the part, receiving 180,000 Thai baht (about A$7,500 or 4,000) over nine months and a free suit as payment.

Stephen Harrison, an Englishman living in Thailand who posed as chief executive Steven Reece Lewis for the launch of HyperVerse in late 2021 and early 2022, has told Guardian Australia he was shocked" to learn the company had presented him as having fake credentials to promote the scheme.