Millionaire CEO Piotr Szczerek was unmasked on social media after his video of snatching a hat from a child at US Open went viral. The hat was special as it was signed by tennis star Kamil Majchrzak’s and the CEO had no reason to snatch it from the child other than the pure intent of bullying a child. His enthusiasm for the hat signed by Kamil that left a child heartbroken backfired as social media users hunted down the CEO, his business and his family and vowed that he will have to pay a bitter price for what he did on camera.
Who Is Piotr Szczerek ?
Piotr Szczerek is a Polish entrepreneur and the CEO of a paving and landscaping company called Drogbruk, which he co-founded with his wife Anna in 1999.
What happened at the 2025 US Open?
During a live broadcast at the 2025 US Open, Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak tried to hand his signed cap to a young fan, but Piotr Szczerek grabbed it first and tucked it into his wife’s bag—snatching it away from the disappointed boy. The moment instantly went viral and sparked widespread outrage. Online sleuths identified Szczerek as the man in the clip, and backlash followed rapidly. Following the incident, Szczerek deactivated his social media accounts amid the public fury. Critics even debated his actions online, calling him “selfish” and demanding accountability. In the wake of the controversy, Polish fans and users on platforms like Gowork.pl flooded Drogbruk’s online space with harsh criticism and negative reviews.Kamil Majchrzak responded to the row and tracked down the child, Brok, and gifted him a new signed cap and other memorabilia.
Massive social media backlash
Social media users said Szczerek’s company will now pay a massive price for what he did. “Nothing is more disgusting than a child bully. He is Piotr Szczerek, the owner of the Polish Drogbruk company, stealing the cap of Kamil Majchrzak during the US open. Disgusting people,” one wrote. “The internet didn’t just find him. They found his company. And they’re lighting up every review site they can find. This is what happens when the world sees you rob a kid’s moment, and you smile like you got away with it,” another wrote.
‘Yes, I took it’ : Polish CEO’s reported response
If the action did not bring Piotr Czczerek enough shame, his apparent justification did as he reportedly said that there was nothing wrong in taking the cap. He said he was quick and so he took the cap as life is first-come first first-served. “The recent incident at the tennis match has caused a disproportionate online uproar. It’s all about the famous hat, of course. Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served”. “I understand that some people might not like it, but please, let’s not make a global scandal out of the hat. It’s just a hat. If yoy were faster, you would have it,” he reportedly said on a Goworkd forum. “Regarding online hate, I remind you that insulting a public figure is subject to legal liability. All offensive commens, slander, and insinuations will be analyzed for the possibility of taking the matter to court.”“In the end, chin up, hats off, less venom, more sportsmanship,” he wrote.
