Horie was born in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and was raised in a respected household by a corporate father and mother from a farming landlord family.

[citation needed] He was a student at the department of literature at the University of Tokyo and was going to major in religion, but dropped out after establishing a company called Livin' on the Edge in 1995 with friends and classmates, which became the precursor to Livedoor.

[4] Horie was criticized by conservative business circles in Japan for his unconventional manner – everything from his informal attire to the practice of corporate expansion through hostile takeover.

[12] Livedoor's share price fell 14.4 percent in one day, with sell orders so numerous that trading volume prompted the Tokyo Stock Exchange to close 20 minutes early for the first time in its history.

[13] The Nikkei index lost 465 points, its largest drop in nearly two years; the ramifications were felt in other markets around the world, especially in Asia.

Though indicted on charges of fabricating financial reports and spreading false information to investors, he continued to assert his innocence.

In March 2007, he was found guilty of falsifying the company's accounts and misleading investors[16] and was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment.

[18] Horie maintained a digital newsletter from his prison cell and communicated with the outside world through staffers who posted to Twitter on his behalf.