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].

Citations: [1] Edward Snowden - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden [2] Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance [3] Edward Snowden Speaks Out: ‘I Haven’t And I Won’t’ Cooperate With Russia https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/761918152/exiled-nsa-contractor-edward-snowden-i-haven-t-and-i-won-t-cooperate-with-russia [4] Edward Snowden asylum in Russia - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden_asylum_in_Russia [5] Edward Snowden Revealed As Key Participant In Mysterious Ceremony … https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2022/04/27/edward-snowden-revealed-as-key-participant-in-mysterious-ceremony-creating-2-billion-anonymous-cryptocurrency/?sh=6f6648723b24