Overview

William Afton was an American businessman and investor, founder of Afton Robotics and cofounder of Fazbear Entertainment Inc, alongside Henry Emily. In 1984, he received the Influential Persons Award, as well as a place in the USSRA's Hall of Genius. He remained with Fazbear Entertainment until 1987, after which he distanced himself from the company in order to focus on personal projects. His departure is thought to be related to popular accusations regarding the Missing Children Incident, as he remains one of the primary suspects. Nothing has been proven in a court of law, however, and there are no official statements to solidify a connection. Little is known about his personal life.

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Career

Afton was reportedly a close friend of roboticist Henry Emily, cofounder of Fazbear Entertainment, though there are some reports of frequent disputes between the two. Together, they opened Fredbear's Family Diner in 1979. The business was a financial success, spawning several lines of merchandise as well as the Fredbear and Friends animated series. This popularity was maintained until late 1983, when, after the death of Henry's daughter, Fredbear's was forced to close. Shortly afterward, Afton's wife would commit suicide, leaving him as a single father.

Later that year, Afton and Emily collaborated once more for the opening of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Using the characters from the aforementioned animated series, it quickly surpassed the popularity of Fredbear's Family Diner. The public image of Fazbear Entertainment would be massively hurt in 1985, though, after 5 reports of missing children, later presumed dead. This prompted the restaurant to temporarily close, leaving Afton to turn to personal projects.

Fazbear Entertainment partnered with Afton Robotics in 1986-1987 to create Circus Baby's Pizza World, the lost sister location to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The project was cancelled on its opening day, however, reportedly due to gas leaks. Following this, Afton would retire from Fazbear Entertainment in order to focus on his personal interests, and to spend more time with his daughter, Vanessa. Not much is known about his life post-retirement, as he prefers to keep his activities private.

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Controversy

Afton has been widely criticized for his handling of the Fazbear brand, especially following the Missing Children Incident. There have been many reports of mismanagement, as well as frequent health code violations in Fazbear Entertainment establishments. The apparent mishandling of Circus Baby's Pizza World reinforced this, and may have played a role in Afton's choice to retire.

Afton was, and remains, among the primary suspects for the identity of the perpetrator of the Missing Children Incident. Due to a lack of evidence, there was no way to confirm or deny his involvement in court. However, the suspicion still left an impact on his public image. Particularly after his disappearance in 1995, speculation has run rampant regarding his relationship to the various criminal activity tied to the Fazbear brand. Many posit that he was driven by grief after the death of his wife, Laura, to murder the five children in 1985. Others point to his relationship with Henry Emily, claiming he may be responsible for the death of Charlotte Emily at Fredbear's Family Diner as well. During 2006-2007, rumors began to propagate that Afton had at some point been in contact with Marilyn Foster, feeding conspiracy theorists with many more dots to connect.

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