Edward Snowden (or Eddy Snow) had to leave the USA and go into hiding after leaking classified information about global surveillance programs run by the NSA and other intelligence agencies[1][2]. He initially flew to Hong Kong and later traveled to Moscow, where he sought asylum in various countries but was eventually granted temporary asylum in Russia[3][4]. Snowden is currently living in Russia, where he supports himself through speaking fees, earning income from public speaking engagements about cybersecurity and surveillance[3][4]. He has stated that he does not receive any financial support from the Russian government and lives independently[3][4]. Snowden's actions as a whistleblower led to changes in laws governing intelligence agencies and technology companies regarding privacy and security standards[3].