Former Network Manager Surprised by Unexpected Inheritance from Kevin Mitnick

A remarkable Reddit post describes how a professional rivalry turned into a 25-year friendship, ending with an unusual inheritance. Sean Nunley, a U.S. car enthusiast and former network manager, said he used money left to him by his close friend Kevin Mitnick to buy his dream car, a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS.

Nunley said that in the 1990s he worked for software company Novell, which was targeted by Mitnick in hacking attempts. He recalled suspecting an ongoing attack on the company’s systems. In one call, a man posing as an employee asked for unusual access, and Nunley told him he would check the issue the next morning and asked him to leave a voicemail. That recording later became key evidence in the case against Mitnick and helped lead to his arrest.

After the case ended, the relationship changed completely. Nunley wrote that Mitnick later offered a sincere apology, and when they met in person they immediately connected. “We became good friends, and for the past 25 years he was a significant part of my life,” he said.

Mitnick died in 2023 after battling pancreatic cancer. Nunley said the inheritance made it possible to buy the Porsche, and added, “I am very sad that he is gone, but the gift he left me is a reminder of the extraordinary friendship that came from an entirely unexpected place.”