One of the world's most prolific spammers has settled with Microsoft and the state of Texas for $1 million, including the seizure of most of his assets. Ryan Pitylak, 24, was accused of sending 25 million mails per day and was considered the fourth worst spammer in the world by Spamhaus.

Neither Microsoft nor the state of Texas had publicly announced the settlement, which came last month. Instead, the first public mention of an agreement came in Pitylak's personal web log, where he announced he was starting his own antispam consulting firm.

While some may be skeptical of Pitylak's sudden change of heart, it should be mentioned that hiring the "bad guy" in tech has worked before. Some of the world's biggest companies hire former hackers whose sole job is to attempt to hack into company systems to ensure security.

"I'm now working earnestly to help other entrepreneurs avoid the traps that deceived me and led me to make questionable business choices," he claims.

The $1 million fine is from the Microsoft settlement, along with a pledge to never again send spam e-mails. Terms of the state's deal have not been disclosed, as the deal was still being completed.

Among the items to be sold by Pitylak to cover legal bills and fines are a $430,000 house near Austin, and a 2005 BMW luxury sedan.