after a group of gorillas were killed and photos of their execution-style murders caused international outrage.

Then, partway through construction, one of the park’s biggest benefactors, Howard Buffett (son of Warren), ended his donations over a disagreement with de Merode about how funds were being spent. Buffett, who co-funded other park projects, calls de Merode “an amazing guy” but says funds intended for power plants were used to build a network to deliver that power to the provincial capital of Goma instead.

Today there are 10 containers powered directly by the plant’s four-meter turbines. Each container holds 250 to 500 rigs. Virunga owns three containers, with all the proceeds going to fund various park services. The other seven are Gouspillou’s. He pays Virunga for the electricity to run his servers, and whatever he mines belongs to him and his investors.

And cashing in on the popularity of digital apes, the park teamed up with the NFT project CyberKongz, which auctioned gorilla NFTs through Christie’s, providing another $1.2 million for the park. Some of that money was used to buy two of the three park-owned containers.

According to de Merode, power from Virunga’s hydro plants has created over 12,000 jobs;

So is this a good model? No. They should use the hydropower for something useful.”

Since then, a hydro plant has been hit by artillery and a high-voltage line to Goma has been struck. The M23 has continued its bloody campaign in Rutshuru and in October seized Rumangabo, leaving de Merode and staff reliving an occupation that feels eerily reminiscent of what captivated viewers of Virunga a decade ago.