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Internet sleuths claim to have identified the millionaire CEO ‘jerk’ accused of taking a signed hat from US Open tennis star Kamil Majchrzak, meant for a young boy.
Piotr Szczerek has been named online as the top executive involved in the incident, after a viral video appeared to show him appropriating the memento from the child.
The ugly scene unfolded moments after Polish player Majchrzak went to the crowd after the biggest win of his career.
The 29-year-old defeated ninth seed Karen Khachanov in an intense five-set match on Thursday – and was then seen removing his cap and attempting to give it to an eager schoolboy in the crowd on Court 11.
However, in a clip that caused significant outrage online, a man beside the astonished boy reached out, took the autographed hat, and placed it in his bag.
This left the youngster – referred to only as ‘Brock’ – looking disappointed and asking, ‘What are you doing?’ as Majchrzak walked away, unaware of the incident.
Online vigilantes have now named Mr. Szczerek – who leads the paving firm Drogbruk – as the individual labeled the ‘most hated man on the internet’ after taking on the task of identifying the hat-taking tennis enthusiast.
Majchrzak has since confirmed to the New York Post that Szczerek is the man in the video, and revealed he sponsors his tennis federation in Poland, adding there was ‘Obviously it was some kind of confusion’ over the incident.
Footage shared online from the tennis US Open showed fans responding to the throw of a hat – with one man appearing to snatch a cap from the clasp of a young boy
Piotr Szczerek has now been named online as the top chief executive at the centre of the furore
‘Only an ordinary idiot and a jerk could snatch a hat from a child’s hands,’ one person wrote about alleged cap-snatcher Szczerek online.
Another raged: ‘If the company’s president so unscrupulously stole a child’s hat, if I were a customer, I would no longer use his services.’
While a third added: ‘That is called stealing property that doesn’t belong to you, and that is no man a coward, a bully, and a cheat taking from a child?? New low.’
Szczerek is an amateur competitive tennis player who was introduced to the sport by his wife Anna, according to Polish news outlet Tenis Magazyn.
The married couple are understood to have a private tennis court at their home in Kalisz, Poland, where they once hosted Urszula Radwanska, a retired Polish tennis ace.
‘It was the most wonderful gift of my life. Our employees came up with the idea, and my husband helped them implement it,’ Mrs Szczerek told the outlet at the time.
Since taking up tennis, Szczerek has risen to the second division of the amateur Kalisz Tennis Association.
His company – which was founded in 1999 and has its HQ Błaszki about 155 miles west of Warsaw – reportedly sponsors a number of local sports programmes as well as rising young tennis players.
It is understood he had sponsored Poland’s tennis federation.
The clip of the alleged hat snatch sparked fury online, with fans branding the CEO ‘selfish’ and ‘a jerk’ for stealing a moment that should have belonged to a child. Millionaire Szczerek has yet to respond to the incident and has been approached by the Daily Mail for comment.
Millionaire Mr Szczerek has yet to respond to the incident, which led to widespread outrage
Majchrzak told the New York Post there was ‘some kind of confusion’ over the incident involving the paving tycoon and schoolboy.
Describing how it unfolded, the player said: ‘I was pointing, giving the hat, but I had a lot going on after my match, after being super tired and super excited for the win. I just missed it.
‘I had like a dead look if you know what I mean. I’m sure the guy was also acting in the moment of heat, in the moment of emotions.’
Majchrzak moved to put things right on Friday, taking to Instagram to appeal for help in finding the boy.
‘After the match I didn’t record that my cap didn’t get to the boy,’ he wrote. ‘Thanks to @asicstennis I’ve got enough caps, so I’m prepared for that.
‘Hey guys, could you help me find the kid from my match. If it’s you (or your parents see this), please send me a DM.’
Just hours later, the Polish star confirmed the boy had been located. Sharing the same pictures of the incident on his story, he added: ‘I am impressed by the power of the internet. We got it! All good now.’
The tennis star has since appealed to fans to lay off the alleged hat-snatcher, saying Szczerek may have taken the cap in the ‘heat of the moment’.
Kamil Majchrzak was signing tried to give his cap to a young boy, but the man snatched it away
The disappointed young boy was seen asking ‘What are you doing?’ after the cap was taken
‘I think is he was also acting in the moment of emotions, in the heat of the moment, and probably when he realised what happened, it was already too late,’ the Polish athlete told SunSport.
‘That’s pretty much it. This wasn’t right, but what’s gone is gone… we fixed it, everybody’s happy now, and I think it’s time to put it behind for everyone.’
In the wake of the anger surrounded the alleged cap swiping, a lengthy online statement defending Szczerek appeared to be released, by someone purporting to be the businessman’s lawyer.
Yet that was later deleted, with the legal official telling people he had been misrepresented.
The supposed defence of the hat grabber’s actions was posted by someone on website Go Work claiming to be the CEO’s legal representative.
A lengthy post on LinkedIn, purporting to be by a Swedish legal firm’s partner, insisted that the filmed ‘actions were neither unlawful nor reprehensible’.
The online comment added: ‘On the contrary – they can be understood as an educational gesture and a form of teaching for a young person.
Majchrzak moved to put things right on Friday, taking to Instagram to appeal for help in finding the boy. The tennis player is pictured with the young lad after issuing his appeal
‘First of all, the cap was not of such value that one could speak of any ‘loss’.
‘It was an everyday item, which ultimately was handed over to the child. Thus, the child was not deprived of the item but received it.
‘Secondly, the very act of temporarily taking the cap and then giving it back can be interpreted as a lesson in respect for gifted items.
‘It was therefore not about ‘taking away’, but about highlighting the importance of looking after what one is given.
‘In this sense, the incident takes on the character of symbolic upbringing through experience – the child, instead of passively receiving an item, was engaged in a situation that taught greater awareness and gratitude.
‘For this reason, portraying the entire event in negative terms is not only incorrect but also unfair.’
The message claimed the man shown ‘did not commit a wrongful act; rather, he set an example that even small situations can be used as a teaching moment and as an opportunity to talk about how to take care of things that are given to us.’
The statement ended by declaring: ‘Let your outrage ring out as much as it wants. It makes no difference to us.
‘We set the rules of the game, because we have the means, the knowledge, and the position.’
A post on the quoted lawyer’s LinkedIn page later said: ‘In connection with the publicly appearing statements about the incident with the cap at the US Open, I would like to inform you: I do NOT have an account on GoWork, and the opinions published there under my name are NOT my opinions.
‘I have taken legal action to block this content.’
There have been negative responses online, including on the Go Work site in response to the now-deleted lengthy statement: ‘One of the worst companies, not worth wasting your money.’
The Daily Mail has approached those involved for comment.
