Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, received a significant donation of 8.07 Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) (approximately $500,000) to fund a private jet for his travel from the UK to Australia.
This donation came after an "emergency appeal" by Assange's wife, Stella, to cover the $520,000 cost of the charter flight, required as part of Assange's plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice.
While initially restricted to fiat donations, a separate Bitcoin donation page was quickly set up to facilitate contributions.
Assange's historic plea deal allowed him to leave UK imprisonment and fly to Australia under Australian government arrangements, highlighting his enduring connection with bitcoin since WikiLeaks began using it for survival over a decade ago.