Overview
Badfluence, a documentary collaboration between Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) and Podme, pulls back the curtain on the Swedish NFT project World of Alidia. Led by influencer Vanja Wikström and her partner Niklas Malmqvist, the venture was billed as a transformative digital-art movement but collapsed in just over a year. The film follows not only the hype but the inner workings, asking hard questions about transparency, responsibility, and the thin line between storytelling and reality in an influencer-driven crowdfunding era.
Launch and Dream
The project burst onto the scene in the summer of 2022 with bold promises and a glamorous marketing blitz: lavish lunches, promotional videos, and a steady stream of social-media posts about a future built around digital art and privileged access. The narrative positioned World of Alidia as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to join an exclusive community and witness a “forever” ecosystem around NFTs. But the spectacle masked a more fragile core: the financial mechanics and sustainability behind the hype.
Money Matters: The Burn and the Salaries
Documents examined by SvD and Podme show that the founders raised just under 3 million Swedish kronor, far short of their hopeful targets. The largest expense, by far, was salaries. The couple paid themselves more than one million kronor in total, with Wikström drawing roughly 44,000 kronor per month — just under the threshold that would trigger state income tax changes. In the documentary, this raises a critical question: should a crowdfunding-backed project allocate such a large share of funds to core team salaries when the community’s willingness to stake money depends on collective benefit?
Elin Häggberg’s critique
Elin Häggberg, a tech journalist who invested in World of Alidia to observe from within, is blunt in her assessment. She argues that traditional crowdfunding or community-driven projects typically don’t funnel the largest chunk of money into founders’ salaries, especially not for the people asking the community to invest. Her line, echoed in the documentary, is that “the money was burned” — a stark reflection on how funds were deployed and whether the priorities aligned with the project’s promises.
The Three-Part Investigation
Badfluence is structured as a three-episode investigation, tracing the arc from visionary dream to turbulent downfall and the later allegations. The series is built on a blend of interview material and documentary evidence, including annual reports and invoices, while acknowledging the limits of reconstructing a full financial picture around a controversial NFT project.
Part 1: The Dream
The opening episode sets the scene: a world of luxury lunches, aspirational marketing, and the idea that followers could join an exclusive future through digital art.
Part 2: The Crash
The second installment follows a turning point in mid-2022, with plans for a physical office put on hold and online whispers turning into critical scrutiny as questions about viability surface. The project’s momentum begins to stall as real-world funds and expectations diverge.
Part 3: The Allegations
The final chapter confronts accountability. It delves into personal finances, a potential house purchase on Gotland, and the emergence of investigative trails on platforms like Flashback — all while exploring what remains of trust when hype overshadows evidence.
Why This Story Resonates Today
Badfluence prompts a broader discussion about transparency in creator-led ventures, the responsibilities of influencers who solicit funds, and how communities should navigate the tension between optimistic storytelling and verifiable results. The World of Alidia case stays in the public conversation as a cautionary tale about the power and risk of crowdsourced art and investment in the NFT era.
Conclusion
The documentary suggests that the questions aren’t only about what happened to World of Alidia, but what the episode reveals about trust, ambition, and the limits of crowdfunding in a fast-moving digital economy. The conversation it sparks continues to echo in Sweden’s media, tech, and influencer landscapes.
