Ashton Forbes is a citizen researcher and commentator who has made his name in the world of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena by connecting the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 to controversial UAP footage, orbs allegedly engaged in teleportation, and ideas about advanced physics suppressed by authorities. He describes himself as a UAP Researcher and Analyst. His public profile includes hosting livestreams several times per week, participating in podcasts, and leading a group called MH370x, which advocates for governmental confirmation of certain leaked video footage’s authenticity. Forbes came to broader public attention when he claimed that several videos—purportedly satellite imagery or other leak material—showed an object carrying the MH370 plane disappearing through what he calls a “portal,” often accompanied by atmospheric or plasma orbs.

He treats these as possible indicators of secret technology rather than extraterrestrial craft. His interest in UAP phenomena reportedly deepened following the release of videos by U.S. military or intelligence agencies around 2017. Many of his claims have sparked sharp pushback. Experts in aviation, imaging, satellite telemetry, and video forensics have largely rejected Forbes’s interpretations, stating the portal effects are likely fabricated or misattributed.

Some elements—like clouds used in the supposed evidence—have been traced to stock imagery. In public venues including forums and media interviews, these critiques have led to widely circulated debunkings. Despite the disputes, Forbes continues to command a following. His broadcasts and livestreams—often under his social media handle—stress highly theoretical physics topics: negative energy, zero-point energy, coherent plasma, gravitational lensing, suppression of Maxwell’s equations, among others.

These discussions are typically speculative and draw skepticism from physicists and aerospace experts who point to lack of reproducible evidence. In contexts of UAP disclosure and conspiracy discourse, Forbes occupies a contentious role. His supporters view him as a relentless truth-seeker uncovering concealed science. Critics paint him as overreaching, sometimes misleading, and lacking credentials in fields he claims to critique.

At various points, he has issued statements correcting earlier claims or reassessing interpretations—though often in response to public or evidential pressure. Forbes’s relevance stems not just from what he asserts, but from how his activity illustrates wider dynamics in UAP culture: how leaked or viral material gets consumed, how technical claims become entangled with belief, and how disclosure activists and skeptics clash. He is as much a case study in the movement’s internal debates as he is a participant.