Shivangi Sinha
Netflix’s ‘Trainwreck: The Real Project X’ recounts the startling chain of events that unfolded in the quiet Dutch town of Haren, centering around Merthe Weusthuis. All she had intended was to host a small, joyful gathering for her 16th birthday. However, the situation spiraled dramatically out of control, leading to chaos that left a lasting mark on the entire community. What was meant to be a simple celebration quickly turned into a night of destruction and disorder. The experience had a profound impact on Merthe and became an unforgettable episode that continues to follow her years after the incident occurred.
Merthe Weusthuis Didn’t Expect Her Birthday to Cause Chaos For the Entire Community
Merthe Marije Weusthuis simply wanted a fun and low-key celebration for her 16th birthday. She asked her parents if she could invite a few friends over and then created a Facebook event to organize it. However, in what would turn out to be a costly mistake, she accidentally set the invite to “public” instead of “private.” What started as a harmless post quickly gained unexpected traction. Within hours, thousands of people across her school and beyond began responding. Merthe was overwhelmed and panicked; she deleted the event, hoping to stop the momentum. But it was too late. A teen named Jorik Clarck soon made a copycat event using the same details. Merthe confronted him about it, and when he saw the chaos it was generating, he too removed the post.
Still, the idea had already gone viral. The event became known online as “Project X Haren,” named after the film ‘Project X,’ which depicted a house party spiraling out of control. A new anonymous event page emerged, and again, thousands expressed interest. Local authorities were warned in the days leading up to her birthday, and on September 21, 2012, teens from all across the Netherlands began arriving in Haren, hoping for a wild party. Many gathered outside Merthe’s actual home, unaware or indifferent to the chaos it was causing. While some police had been deployed, it wasn’t enough. Tensions quickly escalated, fights broke out, property was vandalized, and parts of the town descended into chaos. Eventually, the crowds dispersed, but the damage had been done.
Merthe Weusthuis is Bringing About Large-Scale Social Impact Through Her Work
Over the past decade, Merthe Weusthuis has built a distinguished and globally-oriented career. She has seamlessly blended her expertise in international business with a growing focus on public policy and development. Her academic journey began at Maartenscollege in Haren, where she studied economics and safety from 2012 to 2014. She then spent a year further refining her interests before enrolling at the University of Groningen in 2015 to pursue a Bachelor’s in International Business. During her undergraduate studies, she expanded her global exposure by attending Sichuan University for summer school in 2017 and completing an exchange semester at the Singapore Management University.
Between 2016 and 2019, she also served as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Groningen, gaining hands-on academic experience. Her passion for international management led her to pursue a dual master’s degree from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and CEMS – The Global Alliance in Management Education, from 2019 to 2021. As part of the program, she undertook an exchange at WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) in 2020. Concurrently, from 2018 to 2022, Merthe worked part-time at AthenaStudies & Capita Selecta, teaching crash courses in key finance subjects to undergraduate business students. Her industry career began in 2020 with a summer analyst position at True North Impact Investments, where she quickly rose through the ranks to become an advisor.
In July 2023, she joined Whiteshield, initially as Special Projects Lead, and later advanced to lead Whiteshield Academy. As of March 2025, Merthe serves as the Head of Product and Experience at Whiteshield, where she oversees the entire SaaS/PaaS product portfolio. Her role involves leading productization efforts and ensuring the organization’s tools are impactful and human-centered. Passionate about international development, she has expanded her expertise into the public policy space and is working at the intersection of technology and governance to address pressing societal challenges. Her work now focuses on equipping policymakers with the tools and data they need to improve citizens’ lives, making her a driving force in creating tech-driven, meaningful impact on a global scale.
Merthe Weusthuis is Enjoying Her Life as a Newlywed Today
Merthe Weusthuis is currently based in Dubai, where her professional journey has flourished in recent years. While she has embraced her new life with gratitude, she has openly shared that returning to her hometown of Haren, Netherlands, still brings a wave of difficult emotions. The memory of her 16th birthday party left a lasting impact on her. Even now, she admits that visiting Haren brings back a sense of emotional responsibility, and it is something she continues to process quietly. Despite those early memories, Merthe has created a beautiful and meaningful life for herself. In 2021, she met Mohammed Ahmed Adss, the man she now calls her life partner. The two began dating that year and quickly formed a deep and lasting bond. In January 2024, Mohammed proposed to Merthe.
By November 2024, they were married in what Merthe has described as nothing short of a “fairytale.” Their union has brought her immense happiness, and together they’ve built a warm, love-filled home which includes their beloved dog, North (also affectionately called Nord). Her circle of friends plays a central role in her life; they are the “family she chose,” and she finds immense strength and joy in their presence. Merthe is also very close to her biological family. Her sister Karina, whom she lovingly considers to be her “baby,” remains one of her strongest emotional anchors. She maintains a deep connection with her parents as well. A true adventurer at heart, Merthe has traveled across Europe and ventured to countries like South Africa and the Philippines, often in the company of her friends or her husband. These experiences reflect her enduring zest for life, her openness to the world, and her deep appreciation for the people she holds dear.
Read More: Jorik Clarck: Where is the Project X Haren Promoter Now?
