( CNN ) -- Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin , known to many people more as an aggrieved movie character or perceived tax dodger than as an actual person , has finally spoken out . In an interview with a magazine in his family 's native Brazil , Saverin -- a newly minted billionaire after Facebook 's public stock offering -- talked about his taxes , his relationship with co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and life after `` The Social Network . '' Many observers believe Saverin , who , according to the Facebook origin story was slighted by Zuckerberg as the site grew , was a primary source for the book `` The Accidental Billionaires , '' on which `` Social Network '' is based . Surprise : The Internet hates rich people . But the end result was `` fantasy , '' he said . And , no , he never angrily threw a laptop at Zuckerberg as his Hollywood counterpart , Andrew Garfield , did in the film . It 's a statement Fabio Altman , of magazine Veja , writes is instantly believable given Saverin 's reserved nature . `` That 's Hollywood , not a documentary , '' the 30-year-old Saverin says in the interview conducted in his multimillion-dollar residence in Singapore . Saverin filed a lawsuit against Facebook over his reduced stake in the company , and the legal dispute was settled out of court . But despite well-documented friction over the years , Saverin says he bears no ill will toward Zuckerberg . `` I can only speak well of Mark ; I do n't resent him , '' Saverin said . `` His focus from Day One until today is admirable . He was a visionary and always knew Facebook would only grow if it remained true to its central idea of people presenting themselves truthfully and without pseudonyms . `` That is the great power of Facebook that allowed it to transform into an instrument of protest , as in Egypt , but also as an instrument of business and , beyond that , a natural way to have contact with friends . '' Saverin has had little to do with Facebook in recent years . But he re-entered the public consciousness recently when , days before Facebook stock was due to hit Wall Street , he renounced his U.S. citizenship in favor of Singapore , where he has lived since 2009 . Many saw it as a dodge -- a way to avoid paying U.S. taxes on his share of the company , valued somewhere around $ 2 billion . He says that 's not the case and noted that , as has been reported , he 's paying his taxes . `` The decision was strictly based on my interest of living and working in Singapore , '' he said . `` I am obligated and I will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to the American government . I already paid and I will keep paying whatever taxes I owe based on my time as a U.S . citizen . '' Saverin 's father , Roberto , echoed those thoughts in the article . `` It was hard for me , because of the life I built in the U.S. , hearing from Eduardo that he had to give up on his citizenship , '' he said . `` But he did this not because he wanted to , but because he had no other choice as a foreigner living in Singapore , where financial transactions are more restricted and bureaucratic for those who hold a U.S. passport . There was no other way . '' Roberto and his family emigrated to the United States from Brazil amid political turmoil , and Saverin 's registered place of birth is Miami . Saverin continues to work as an investor and partner in Internet startups from his Singapore apartment , where an office contains three , 27-inch Mac monitors on which he constantly monitors everything from stock prices to the weather , Altman writes . As for Facebook itself ? Saverin still has his own profile , with more than 1 million people subscribed to it . But he uses it almost exclusively for news about his new startups , keeping the personal details to himself . `` I do n't like showing my private life online , '' he said .
Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin opens up to Brazilian magazine . The two men met when they were both students at Harvard Business School and have remained close ever since. He says that , despite renouncing citizenship , he 's paying taxes in U.S. Saverin made an estimated $ 2 billion from Facebook 's stock offering .