White Stripes, Black Sheeps
Marius Borg Høiby is at the center of the network presented in White Stripes, Black Sheep. The authors describe an environment marked by crime, drugs, violence, and sex. The book raises questions about royal privileges, the role of the royal family, and the values it conveys.
October 23, 2025 | SOCIETY
Image by AI/S&P
In the book White Stripes, Black Sheeps, Krofjord and Monsen describe the circle surrounding Marius Borg Hoiby. A few errors have been found in the book, which the publisher says will be corrected in the next edition. This has been taken into account in this review.
This is not a literary book. It is written as one might expect from crime journalists, as the authors are—very experienced ones. Some observations may be perceived as attempts at a more literary language.
The book primarily describes the circle that Marius surrounds himself with. This is done by mapping out networks to show the relationships he has had and by recounting the criminal activities of these individuals. It provides detailed descriptions of a lifestyle where drugs drive extreme behaviour, expensive possessions, and criminality. In many ways, the lifestyle resembles the TV series Exit, which aired on NRK and was inspired by the extreme side of Norway’s 1990s financial scene. In the pursuit of wealth, one is drawn into an environment marked by drugs, violence, and sex.
The book discusses drug-related crime and sheds light on the issue by describing actual criminal cases and prison sentences within Marius’s circle. In this respect, the book appears reliable. Some in the circle, and some in the police, speak in their own voices about incidents that have taken place and thus appear as witnesses of truth. In these instances, readers must assess the credibility for themselves.
There is little new about Marius; what was new has been refuted by his lawyers, the Royal Palace, and the police. They state that the book is based on rumours and half-truths. Even if one removes the accounts from these witnesses, the book still provides a credible picture of both the lifestyle and the network around Marius. When the book describes the sexualised view of women in this environment—how women are spoken of and treated as objects—it undeniably connects to the rape and abuse charges Marius faces.
Throughout the book, both through Marius himself and other criminals, connections are drawn between parent and child. Marius’s father, Morten Borg, has convictions for drug possession, violence, and drunk driving. Mette-Marit’s own accounts of a wild youth in which she crossed boundaries are mentioned. At the same time, one should keep in mind Marius’s notorious grandfather, Sven O. Hoiby (deceased), and his uncle Espen Hoiby, who has been convicted of violence against his former partner.
Although it is not stated directly in the book, the question of Marius Hoiby’s role models is raised. The book also raises, directly through witness comments and indirectly through the story of Marius’s upbringing, questions about what kind of upbringing his parents and stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, have provided.
It is understandable that parents, the Palace, and defence lawyers want to protect Marius Borg Hoiby; nevertheless, it is problematic. To a large extent, Marius is portrayed as a victim of the press and of the book’s authors when those mentioned speak out. It is not that simple—several factors must be considered. Crown Prince Haakon chose Mette-Marit, she chose him, and together they chose to bring her son into a life as the King of Norway’s step-grandson and a subject of public interest. The circumstances were known to them. Things did not go particularly well for Marius, but there are many elements here that cannot be attributed to the press. They, like everyone else, must face the consequences of their own choices. Unlike most people, they have throughout Marius’s upbringing had access to support services both in Norway and abroad.
Even more concerning is that statements from the parents, the Palace, and lawyers may be perceived as normalising substance abuse. The royal family wields enormous influence. Regardless of whether Marius Borg Hoiby is convicted of any of the 32 charges, there is little that should be normalised in relation to the social problem that drug use represents.
It is not the book that is the problem in this case. Former politician Jan Bohler writes about the book in Nettavisen: “Anyone who might have thought that cocaine use in the environment around the future queen’s son was just a bit of upper-class fun in Oslo’s affluent west end will get a very different picture.”
The royal family has a particular responsibility to convey the values on which Norwegian society is built. Earlier this year, Princess Märtha and her husband Durek were featured in the Netflix series Royal Rebels, read more here. Following both the Märtha and Marius cases, there is reason to question how the Palace communicates these values in its public statements.
In conclusion, this book highlights a highly relevant issue: how drug use fuels drug-related crime and how extensive cocaine use has become in Norway, read more here.
SOURCES
Norli (Norwegian bookseller)
Hvite striper, sorte får / White Stripes, Black SheepsBBC News
Charges with rape and abuseVerdens Gang
Publisher admits errors in the bookAftenposten
The Palace and the defence lawyers respond