Hackers accessed information in the company’s Starwood reservation system, which affected brands including W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, and other properties in the Starwood portfolio. As such, Marriott suggested it will cover the cost for 327 million people whose passport numbers may have been exposed. More precisely, considering a fee of USD 110 per passport, would mean that Marriott should pay up to USD 36 billion, which is a price tag that equals the value of the entire company.

The company said it will follow through on reimbursement only in such cases where they determine that fraud has taken place. However, Marriott’s hack is believed to have little to do with fraud and everything to do with espionage. As per Reuters, investigators believe the perpetrators of this attack were Chinese spies, as the breach used tools, tactics, and procedures that matched Beijing’s style. The intrusion is said to have begun shortly after a breach of the government’s Office of Personnel Management, which government officials have attributed to China.