Remember the Kinder Chocolate Kid? He's Finally Revealed Himself After Years of Identity Theft

The face behind the iconic Kinder chocolate packaging, has finally come forward to reveal his identity.

For years, people have been stealing his image and falsely claiming it as their own. Now, at 31 years old, Matteo Farneti is speaking out about the years of confusion and frustration he has endured.

From Kinder Kid to Adult – Here's What He Looks Like Now

The child's face featured on Kinder chocolate packaging from 2004 to 2019 is now recognized as that of Matteo Farneti, a 31-year-old man from Bologna. He recently confirmed his identity in an interview with Corriere della Sera. "I'm the Kinder Kid," Farneti told the newspaper, ending years of speculation.

Ferrero, the company behind Kinder, also confirmed his identity in an official statement, making it clear that Farneti was the child who appeared on the iconic wrappers.

Who Did People Think He Was?

For many years, people mistakenly believed the face belonged to Alessandro Egger, a contestant from the TV show La Talpa. However, Farneti refutes this, stating: "I don't know if Egger ever worked with Kinder, but I'm certain that the photo is mine. If he worked for Ferrero, why didn't he use his own image?" Other theories linked the face to Josh Bateson, an influencer from England, but Farneti has set the record straight.

The Struggles of Identity Theft

Farneti has come forward not only to claim ownership of his image but also to stop the constant misappropriation of his identity. He revealed that for years, people in his small town accused him of lying about being the face on the packaging. "It's uncomfortable to see your childhood image in other people's hands, especially when they boast about it being them in the picture," Farneti shared in his interview.

Why Now?

Farneti's decision to speak out was fueled by frustration. He had grown tired of being forced to prove his identity time and time again. The case of his stolen image highlights the power of personal identity in the digital age and the challenges of reclaiming one's story in the face of mass media and public misconception. It is far too easy to get people to believe something online with little to no factual basis.