Matt Bowden wants to know what this story is about.
The 51-year-old, formerly known as New Zealand’s party pill king, seems surprised to be contacted over email. It’s March 2022, and the discharged bankrupt is the director of a new business, having returned to the country from Thailand during the pandemic.
“If you want to do an interview, let’s do that over writing,” he responds.
A year later, after much back and forth, we come face-to-face in an Albany cafe. There’s vestiges of the character people may remember from the aughts – nail polish, bracelets, eyeliner. He’s friendly, softly spoken.
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Aside from the odd interview with Vice, and being…
