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An inventor who disappeared after claiming he was being targeted due to a revolutionary technology is safe but staying out of the spotlight for his protection, according to his mother.
Julian Brown, 21, rose to online fame for his contributions to the energy sector, particularly with ‘Plastoline’ – a product he asserts can transform plastic into gasoline.
With 1.7 million Instagram followers, the inventor hasn’t been in contact since July 9, when he uploaded an alarming video alleging he was ‘under attack.’
‘Something is happening, keep me in your prayers please. SCREEN RECORD THIS. I don’t know,’ Brown wrote on the post.
‘I’m certainly under attack… I can’t go into so much detail,,’ Brown said to the camera as he told his followers to ‘keep your eyes open.’
However, Brown’s mother Nia told DailyMail.com on Monday that Brown is not missing.
‘I can confirm Julian is safe but in the best interest of his security I’m not able to provide any more information,’ she said.
When asked for further details, Nia Brown insisted she could not provide more information about her son.
Julian Brown, 21, vanished from his social media after claiming he was under attack on July 9
But his mother Nia Brown told DailyMail.com Brown is not missing. She ominously said he was keeping a low profile for his safety
The lack of information had sparked concern among his followers, who speculated that Brown could be in danger over his creation, pictured
Brown’s whereabouts remain a mystery, but he had posted several concerning messages where he appeared to fear that he was being targeted.
‘A SECRET Helicopter found circled me in the middle of NOWHERE… and it gets even scarier – Pray for me please,’ Brown wrote on July 3.
The lack of information had sparked concern among his followers, who speculated that Brown could be in danger over his creation.
Brown was featured on Forbes magazine as the founder of Naturejab, a company that makes natural products, and as ‘an innovator in the use of microwave pyrolysis of plastic waste.’
When asked about his motivation for creating the technology, Brown said: ‘It made me so upset that even though we are told that we are recycling, plastic is clearly ending up in the oceans and landfills where it is affecting so many lives, including our own.’
Brown told the magazine he learned his skills in a high school welding class and his welding profession.
The inventor received a $100,000 from Reddit co-creator Alexis Ohanian, who is married to Serena Williams.
Brown had claimed on social media that a ‘secret’ helicopter was circling him
Brown also created a GoFundMe page to finance the invention, asking for $16,000.
Following news of his alleged disappearance, the GoFundMe’s donation ballooned to more than $30,000.
‘I have been self taught in turning plastic into fuel for 5 years, and now I will need YOUR help to raise money for the most important upgrade yet. This will be my first official invention,’ Brown wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Brown also wrote: ‘Last year, I got into an explosion and was hospitalized and suffered 2nd degree burns requiring burn surgery. At the same time, I had to find a new safe plot of land to move my operations to.
‘I currently drive 4 hours to and from every time I wish to work on or operate my machine. This shows my true commitment to the cause.’
