in 1990, mcalevey graduated from new york university with a degree in filmmaking. he married a swedish woman, moved to stockholm, and fathered two daughters, pernilla and marika. in 1993, he founded the first of several corporations, bandit communications ab. bandit radio quickly became stockholm's most popular rock radio station, eventually reaching most of sweden. he founded two smaller swedish networks, radio lapland and right on radio, as well as a large nightclub on the swedish resort island of gotland. in 1999 mcalevey founded tomsradio.com, a pioneer of streaming music that predated pandora radio and spotify.