[4] Blockchain analysts have reported that they are unable to find evidence of Quadriga's cold wallets on the blockchain, a public ledger used for cryptocurrencies. The funeral, according to a Redditor claiming to be a contractor for QuadrigaCX, said that it was a closed-casket affair, and that Jennifer was fake grieving and dancing at the funeral to bacchanalian excess, and even kicked out Geralds family. A new documentary on his mysterious death called Dead Man's Switch: A Crypto Mystery, airing on Discovery+, looks into accusations the crypto king made off with millions in investors' cash. It apparently had no formal accounting system. Cotten encrypted and stored about $190 million worth of his customers' Bitcoin caches and held sole responsibility for the passwords needed to access those funds. His body was repatriated to . This was my entire savings, built through ten years of work, said one disgruntled customer in the doc. Given the mysterious circumstances of his deathand the enormous amount of money he controlledits no surprise that conspiracies quickly sprang up in an attempt to piece together the puzzles around his death. A sneak preview of the Netflix doc contains images that suggest the documentary will show the investors dive deeper into these conspiracies. Despite presenting himself as mild mannered and clean cut, Cotten was found to have had a history of carrying out financial cons - starting when he was just a teenager. And with the mystery of Quadriga still being unraveled by the Feds, Mounties, amateur sleuths and investigative journalists - the question remains what happened to Cotten? 5 Supposedly, Cottens business associates didnt even know he was married. TRUST NO ONE: THE HUNT FOR THE CRYPTO KINGFollow a group of investors turned sleuths as they try to unlock the suspicious death of cryptocurrency multimillionaire Gerry Cotten and the missing $250 million they believe he stole from them. The user said that he left the company in 2016, and that the company was legitimate at the time. No one but him can access accounts, he ran a whole market on a laptop by himself with no other employees or partners anymore so only he could access it and he suddenly dies when he would be in massive debt for delayed payments and would likely be convicted for fraud or money laundering. I think there were a couple years when it ran legitimately I dont think Gerry could have imagined a future with money pouring in the way it eventually did.. The documentary follows a group of Quadriga investors turned sleuths who dig into the suspicious death of Cotten and the millions of missing cryptocurrency they believe Cotten stole from them, according to a tweet from Netflix announcing the film. The podcast was reported by Aaron Lammer and Lane Brown.[55]. Up to C$250 million (US$190 million) in cryptocurrency owed to 115,000 customers was missing[2] or could not be accessed because only Cotten held the password to off-line cold wallets. The business was run from Cotten's encrypted laptop from Cotten's home in Fall River, Nova Scotia. The laptop computer from which Gerry carried out the companies business is encrypted and I do not know the password or recovery key. The OSC found that after 2016, QuadrigaCX stopped producing consistent data about its holdings, and that large volumes of cryptocurrencies were being sent to foreign crypto exchanges. [16] In 2014 only C$7.4 million worth of bitcoin were exchanged on Quadriga. Soon after his death, however, reports surfaced that nearly 80,000 users of QuadrigaCX at the time Canadas largest cryptocurrency exchange were unable to access funds totalling more $190m. [52], The CBC released a 6-episode podcast about Quadriga and the death of its founder called A Death in Cryptoland. Then, the crypto millionaire suddenly died in India from complications from Crohn's disease about three years ago. - Watch Full Details ! Cottens death will likely remain a mystery, with some believing that he is still residing somewhere in the world with the stolen money. [33] After the exchange was put into maintenance mode for several days in January, they announced on the 31st that they were applying for creditor protection. Cotten In 2013 was looking for a programmer to help him create a bitcoin marketplace using the account name Murdoch1337 on a BlackHat Forum and this account was last seen active in August 2019 at this point he should have been "dead" for a long time. Gerald died while on a honeymoon with his wife Jennifer in India, Cotten has been recast since his death as a thrill-seeking scammer, Michael Patryn - real name Omar Dhanani - had previously been convicted of identity fraud, Bitcoin miner electrocuted to death by his computer after forcing it to churn out endless amounts of crypto. In December 2018, Cotten died during his honeymoon with his wife, Jennifer Robertson, in Jaipur, India. A big chunk of it was given to him by his parents. Gerald and Jennifer kept most of their relationship away from the public. He convinced tons of investors to fork over their money so he could invest it into Crypto. While the large increase in volume increased commissions, it also caused cash-flow problems due to the exchange's reliance on external payment processors and its lack of a proper accounting system. ET. (His wife says he is in fact dead and witnessed his funeral). , and found an affidavit from Robertson saying that she didnt understand how QuadrigaCX operatedeven though one of Robertsons companies later wired cash to some of Quadrigas customers. The estate includes an airplane, a sailboat, a 2017 Lexus, and real estate in Nova Scotia and Kelowna, British Columbia. Cotton took with him to the grave the keys that allowed access to the digital vault containing his investors cash that they had ploughed into Quadriga CX. Then, as their accounts accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars, Gerald passed unexpectedly, taking the passwords to the accounts to his grave. The public didnt learn about the death for another 36 days, until January 2019. The investors found more questions than answers. Netflixs documentary definitely seems to be in the corner that Cotten did die, despite the mystery surrounding his death. Mr Cotten, 30 at the time of his death, seemed to be living the dream life of a financial titan. [43][44] On 13 December 2019, the court-appointed law firm representing the exchange's former users sent a letter to the RCMP asking that they exhume Cotten's body to confirm his identity and verify a cause of death. I put myself into a deep hole and the only way to dig out of it was to sell my house.. A NEW documentary on rogue crypto trader Gerald Cotton, who took up to $215million in Bitcoin and other digital currencies to his grave, has sparked rumours he may have faked his death. Here Is Why People Think Gerald Cotten Is Still Alive. The podcast was hosted by Takara Small. He graduated from York in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. [3][4][5], Quadriga likely never invested the funds entrusted to it, according to Chainalysis, a cryptocurrency tracking firm. But pour in it did. But Bitcoin crashed at the end of 2018, and Cottens flashy lifestyle needed cash to sustain itself. "What Quadriga really did with the money that customers gave it to buy Bitcoin remains a mystery," according to Chainalysis. The accounting firm Ernst & Young, tasked with auditing the company as it undergoes bankruptcy proceedings, discovered numerous money-losing trades executed by Cotten, using customers funds. Died, and He Had the Passwords", "Pre-filing report of the proposed monitor", "Controversial QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency exchange placed in bankruptcy", "Quadriga Should Shift to Bankruptcy Proceedings, Monitor Says", "FBI Probing Bitcoin Exchange Quadriga Over Missing $136 Million, Source Alleges", "Quadriga: Lawyers for users of bankrupt crypto firm seek exhumation of founder", "How Gerald Cotten built Quadriga and created the ensuing crypto storm", "Ponzi Schemes, Private Yachts, and a Missing $250 Million in Crypto: The Strange Tale of Quadriga", "Geek Speak: Gerald Cotton, CEO of Quadriga CX", "Crypto chaos: From Vancouver to Halifax, tracing the mystery of Quadriga's missing millions", "Quadriga's late founder used to store clients' Bitcoin passwords on paper so they wouldn't get lost", "A crypto exchange CEO dies-with the only key to $137 million", "Details emerging about Gerald Cotten, the young founder of QuadrigaCX", "My smart contract just ate $14 millionnow what? The user said that he left the company in 2016, and that the company was legitimate at the time. It just wasnt there. It essentially removes the need for a central authority. Bankruptcy trustees have managed to recover around $34million from Quadriga and $12million in assests from Cotten's estate - but the rest remains locked away in the digital world of crypto. I really prayed it wasn't a scam. Lived In Los Angeles CA, Austin TX, Van Nuys CA . Investors tried to pull their money from Quadriga, but sometimes faced month-long delays. Gerald Cotten is allegedly meant to have died from Crohn's disease after the exchange crashed. Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). [51], A documentary titled Dead Man's Switch: A Crypto Mystery about the story of Gerald Cotten premiered at the 2021 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. [32] It also stated that Quadriga has 363,000 registered users and a sum of C$250 million is owed to 115,000 affected users. CIBC stated that they could not determine the ownership of the money and could not contact Cotten or Quadriga. He hopes the Netflix doc will get authorities to "move their asses and do something about it" but also to raise awareness "so it doesn't happen to other people". His death certificate spells his name wrong, he was supposedly buried in a closed casket in Canada even though there is no evidence his body was ever moved from India and why would it need to be a closed casket? [42] Another three empty wallets were believed to possibly be owned by Quadriga. Living a jet set life, he cruised the world on yachts, flew in private jets and investigators even released photos of piles of cash on his kitchen table. Gerald Cotten was the talk of the cryptocurrency world in Canada after he introduced QuadrigaCX, a place where investors could buy and sell cryptocurrency. https://bit.ly/3cAIH4j Newest Vid's https:. The firm launched in 2014 amid a spectacular rise in the price of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and was handling $1 billion in trades by 2017. Netflix's latest true crime doc, "Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King", seeks to unravel the mystery of Gerald Cotten, the CEO of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX, who died in 2018. Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? I believe this is the reason why Quadriga could be formed because they made a fortune from Scamming before Quadriga. Cotten passed away from complications that arose from Crohns disease while on a honeymoon in Indiaapparently taking some $215 million of customer funds to the grave. A C$24.7 million disbursement fund has been planned with C$300,000 to go to Cotten's widow, Jennifer Robertson, who advanced that amount to start the court proceedings; C$200,000 will go to Ernst & Young and another C$250,000 to its lawyers; C$229,842 will go to Quadriga's lawyers; and C$17,000 to independent contractors. Uncertainty about the missing funds has fueled speculation that Cotten may still be alive. Netflix has tried to get to the bottom of things in its, Trust No One depicts Cotten as a nerdy, happy-go-lucky, and charming CEO, who was knee-deep in, reporter that the banks, which didnt trust crypto exchanges, had, The investors found more questions than answers. Gerald died while on a honeymoon with his wife Je The thing is, a CEOs death shouldnt lock customers out of their money. In November 2018 the case was decided with the accounts going to the court to decide the ownership individually. I personally believe that Cotten is not dead but I would like to hear from people who know more than me about this topic and what they think about the situation. "So far, nothing's been found. Gerald Cotten, 30, held the virtual keys to a whopping $137 . He appointed his wife as the executor of his estate, handing over a $9million real estate empire, his yacht and his Cessna plane - and he even left his two dogs an inheritance of $100,000. lets break it all down. TRUST NO ONE: THE HUNT FOR THE CRYPTO KING, a DONT F*CK WITH CATS-style investigative thriller, is now streaming on Netflix. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Investors are still hunting for millions in vanished cryptocurrencies, writes Josh Marcus, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten | FAKE Behind 'Hunt For The Crypto King' Netflix | Where Are They Now?Subscribe Here! Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten died in 2018, taking password to access funds with him Credit: Netflix. That same month, Quadriga filed for creditor protection, and scores of angry investors began furiously questioning where their money went, even though only Mr Cotten knew the keys to the companys crypto vault and never set up a dead mans trigger to send them elsewhere in case he was incapacitated. A 33-YEAR-OLD man lost his life savings after getting involved with a cryptocurrency trader who died, taking the password to access funds to the grave. I ended up losing my life savings I lost $400,000, Tong Zou, a tech worker quoted in the film, says. Cotten's sudden death in 2018 led to the disappearance of millions of dollars worth of his investors' Bitcoin funds. Cotten had allegedly told his wife he would create a mechanism that would allow her to access all of his crypto-related passwords should he die but. Netflix Special on Bitcoin Fraudster Gerald Cotten, His Wife, and QuadrigaCX. Mr Patryn pled guilty in 2005 to working in an identity fraud ring, and did business under a company called Midas Gold as an intermediary with Liberty Reserve, a Costa Rican digital currency firm busted as one of the largest money laundering operations in history. His death left investors locked out of their money and left Jennifer Robertson, Gerry's wife . Cotten passed away from complications that arose from Crohn's disease while on a honeymoon in Indiaapparently taking some $215 million of customer funds to the grave. When he was a 15-year-old in Belleville, Ont., Gerald Cotten was selling get-rich-quick schemes on online forums that taught him how to deceive investors and cover his tracks. Netflix has seen a boom with its true-crime docuseries, from 'Tiger King' to 'Making a Murderer.' Subsequent investigations found that Michael Patryn, one of the co-founders, registered the domain name for QuadrigaCXnot Gerry. The dude literally said that comment as a complete joke, and I even . The media dragged Gerald Cotten's wife, Jennifer Robertson, into the spotlight after his mysterious death. Another "appears to have been used to receive Bitcoin from another cryptocurrency exchange account and subsequently transfer Bitcoin to the Quadriga hot wallet" on 3 December. Browse Locations. [30], According to Jennifer Robertson, Cotten's widow, he died on 9 December 2018 while travelling in India. Thinking that Jennifer had murdered Cotten, the Telegram group spiraled out of control. Dhanani also had pleaded guilty to burglary and grand theft charges and had been deported to Canada. I didnt know that Gerry was married, he says. Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness (Holt). Widow of Quadriga crypto founder Gerald Cotten says she had no idea about the $215-million scam In an exclusive interview, Jennifer Robertson speaks out publicly about her deceased husband,. We just send money from our Bitcoin app directly to those paper wallets, and keep it safe that way. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. April 2, 2022 Netflix Nobody was expecting Gerald Cotten, the CEO of Canadian Bitcoin exchange QuadrigaCX, to die at 30. Angry and suspicious investors congregated on Reddit and Telegram to try to get to the bottom of the mystery. Did Cotten fake his own death, investors began to ask, absconding to lands anew under a new name and a surgically rejigged face? But even the forensic accountants only managed to trace $46 million of the total $215 million customers had deposited onto the exchange. at the time Canadas largest cryptocurrency exchange, Gerald Cotten, 30, died in questionable circumstances, Canadian company founder took crucial password to the grave. Netflixs latest true crime documentary, Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King, has arrived on the streaming platforms extensive catalog of intriguing documentaries. In that case, $851 million entrusted to Crypto Capital had been "lost, stolen or absconded with", according to the suit. Citing decomposition concerns, lawyers requested the exhumation be completed no later than spring 2020. Cotten was young, energetic, passionate about cryptocurrency so when. [45], In June 2020, the Ontario Securities Commission officially concluded that Quadriga was indeed a fraud and a Ponzi scheme. Jennifer, scared for her safety, entered a safe house. [17], Ernst & Young reported on 6 February 2019 that C$468,675 (US$354,300) of bitcoin were "inadvertently" sent to an inaccessible cold wallet. He was 30-years-old. So, Patryn: shit-stirrer, criminal mastermind or another one beguiled by Cotten? Then Cotten took a turn for the worse: he went into cardiac arrest three times; the third time, the doctors couldnt revive him and declared him dead. And why did the Indian hospital that treated Cotten misspell his name on his death certificate? did gerry and his wife fake his passing and steal the money? The mystery of Cotten and Quadriga is now the subject of podcasts Exit Scam and A Death In Cryptoland. [11] Lawyers for the customers of the exchange have asked that Cotten's body be exhumed.[12]. In her memoir, Ms Robertson denies shes part of an elaborate plot to fake her husbands death, adding that speculation has led to death threats from stalkers demanding she returns the missing millions. She has also said she has no idea what the passwords are to access sequestered customer funds, and that it wasnt written down anywhere. His death sparked online debates and string theories on Reddit and. Disclosure: Mathias Dpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member. When Canadian blockchain whiz Gerald Cotten died unexpectedly last year, hundreds of millions of dollars in investor funds vanished into the crypto ether. But when co-founder Cotten died during a honeymoon in India, the money was seemingly lost forever. All Filters. Customers have since struggled to regain access to their money, citing withdrawl issues and lack of communication from the company. "I couldn't get any sleep. He died just nine days into his honeymoon due to an acute stomach ache. He was able to keep the venture, called S&S Investments, going for three months, before it folded and investors money was gone. [7][8] On 8 April 2019 the firm entered bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act as the possibility of a successful reorganization appeared to be remote. Trust No One depicts Cotten as a nerdy, happy-go-lucky, and charming CEO, who was knee-deep in Bitcoin and a fierce advocate of the technology. Was, whom employees described as a macho, terrifying character, that Patryn was involved in a money-laundering ring under a different name, Then, out of the blue, one Mike Patryn joined the Telegram group that investors were using to discuss conspiracies. We explain who Gerald Cotten is, the subject of this documentary, and reveal where he is now, including the mystery surrounding his downfall. [38][39], According to some of Cotten's family members, there was a crypto "Dead man's switch" that would provide Quadriga with operating information in the event of his death; however, "neither the monitor nor others involved with the organization are aware of a dead-man switch email having been received. Many believe that Cotten faked his death, however, as part of an exit scam to get away with stealing millions from Quadrigas customers. Finally, the OSC discovered something that cracked the case wide open. Exit Scam host Aaron Lammer told CoinDesk: "My read was that, on some level, Gerry was addicted to scamming, "Addicted to stealing peoples money. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? "I kept asking them: Where's my money? https://bit.ly/3cAIH4j Newest Vid's https://bit.ly/3JkFmEqFollow Us On Facebook https://bit.ly/3oh5cS8Gerald Cotten or Gerry Cotten's life and tragic passing are shrouded in mystery. Now Cottens jet-set lifestyle looked suspicious. "[18], The company tried to raise money and list on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) working with Patryn. [17] In a 2014 interview, founder Gerald Cotten explained that the company stored customer funds on paper wallets in safe deposit boxes: "So we just send money to them, we dont need to go back to the bank every time we want to put money into it. A new Netflix true-crime documentary is tackling a bizarre story from the world of cryptocurrency. Ernst & Young was able to recover $24m in cash and $9m in assets held by Robertson. Cotten and Patryn's past: He's also been linked to many other "Cryptocurrency markets" in the past with his old partner Patryn who has changed his name twice because he was charged with laundering money. "At that time, there was nothing I could do. A bitcoin mining operation in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec. The streaming service announced the feature alongside a slate of upcoming true-crime projects last week. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. I could have put it in stocks. Indian authorities maintain that Cotten, whose body was repatriated to Nova Scotia for a small closed-casket funeral, died on Dec. 9, 2018, shortly after checking into a luxury hotel in Jaipur. Cryptocurrency investors locked out of $190m after exchange founder dies, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. His clients were locked out of about $250 million, and investigators later. #GeraldCottenReallyDead #GeraldCottenStillAliveGerald Cotten Really Dead ? And meanwhile, Dead Man's Switch director Sheona McDonald said: "There's only two people who really know what happened in India.". Image Source: Social Media. Gerald Cotten is allegedly meant to have died from Crohns disease after the exchange crashed. [22][23] C$28 million held by Costodian, a Quadriga payment processor, was frozen by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in January 2018. firms", "What happens when your bitcoin banker dies? #GeraldCotten #QuadrigaCX #Netflix #truecrime #wherearetheynow #gerrycotten #crypto #fraud #docuseries #truestory #biography #whathappenedto ------------------------------------IN THIS VIDEO:Sierra Walker ------------------------------------PRODUCER \u0026 FILMED BY:Chris Stiuso------------------------------------VIDEO EDITED BY:Brianna Raakman: https://www.instagram.com/brianna_raakman/ The Globe and Mail reporters were on the case, and used photos to conclude that they were the same person. After some more digging, the reporter found an order form filled out by one Gerald Cotten. Zou resorted to the cryptocurrency scheme to avoid bank charges when moving Vancouver, shifting his money from the US to a Canadian account. [17][29] Bloomberg also identified Patryn as Dhanani, showing that he had officially changed his name from Omar Dhanani to Omar Patryn in British Columbia in March 2003 and changed it again to Michael Patryn in October 2008. Gerald Gerry Cotten is the founder of Canadian cryptocurrency exchange Quadriga Fintech Solutions and is at the helm of a groundbreaking investment scam that the Netflix documentary investigates. At the time, he was the CEO of QuadrigaCX, a company that performed cryptocurrency exchanges. According to the documentary, thats around the time that Cotten started to invest his money in islands, cars and property, traveling the world while running his exchange. The thing about conspiracy theories, though, is that they mutate out of control very quickly, and arent always reflective of the latest evidence. Since his death, Cotten has been recast as a habitual scammer who would enjoy the thrill of knowing he was duping his customers and investors. Some speculate that Cotten, who suffered with Crohn's disease, might actually be alive. Thats when the. His will was signed off just two weeks before he and wife Jennifer Robertson travelled to India on their honeymoon. Resides in Beverly Hills, CA. Some people called for Geralds body to be exhumed. Gerald Cotten, the founder of QuadrigaCX, was thought to have had sole access to the funds and coins exchanged on it. I'm 99% sure he is still alive living nicely. The company raised C$850,000 but cancelled plans to list on the exchange in early 2016. It's clear to me that Cotten gave himself millions of dollars worth of crypto as the owner to trade people fake crypto and give himself millions of dollars. Jilted investors in a defunct cryptocurrency company want to confirm the death of the business's founder by exhuming his remains. California (2) Massachusetts (1) Texas (2) Refine Your Search Results. [54], A 2021 8-episode podcast entitled Exit Scam followed the buildup of Quadriga, and investigated whether Gerald Cotten had faked his own death. Was the CEOknown for his luxurious lifestyle, which included jets, supercars and vacationsmurdered by a mob debt collector or a jealous lover? The young entrepreneur seemed to be at the height of his success, traveling around the world with his wife, Jennifer, and leading a jet-setting lifestyle. 4 people named Gerald Betzen found in California, Texas and Massachusetts. The Crypto King, aka Gerald "Gerry" Cotten, died in 2018, but his mysterious death is still a subject of controversy today. [33] Aaron Matthews served as Director of Operations. Robertsons sister, for the record, doesnt think that Cotten had fabricated his relationship with Jennifer. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He first encountered Bitcoin in Vancouver, British . Companies have backups, safeguards to protect against this kind of thing. The two first met in November 2014 and had been together for some time before tying the knot in October 2018. Gerald Cotten (born 11 May 1988)[14] lived in Belleville, Ontario before attending the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. In court filings, it was revealed that Mr Cottens email was listed as Midas Golds contact. It was a perfect match, sparked up on Tinder, she said in the documentary. The doctor stated that while dying from Crohns disease is very rare, Cotten appeared to show signs of illness and suffered from three heart attacks in the same day the paramedics were unable to resuscitate him after his third cardiac arrest. [1], The company's CEO and founder, Gerald William Cotten, allegedly died in 2018 after traveling to India. Gerald Cotten. The OSC tugged on the same thread, but neither could get hold of him. Here's a link to the BlackHat forum. [17] In June 2017, Quadriga announced that they had lost ethereum worth US$14 million due to a smart contract error. Robertson has denied any knowledge of her husband's wrongdoing - and in 2019 returned $9million to the company to repay users. NOW WATCH: Netflix is headed for a huge profit milestone in 2018, Personal Finance Insider's picks for best cryptocurrency exchanges. Fourteen trading accounts that were also examined were used to trade on other exchanges. Like many in the industry, he framed his enterprise not merely as a financial tool, but a radical societal change, touting the crypto gospel in podcast appearances and videos on YouTube. He passed away in 2018 with the secret of $250 million. To add credence to the theory that he faked his own death and is still alive, Bloomberg reported that the crypto exchange founder filed his will just 12 days before he apparently died. The sudden death of Gerald Cotten in December 2018 plunged the world of cryptocurrency into chaos. So his spiral down into a life of crime was either pure greed or him seeking the thrill. [50], Quadriga's lawyer, the firm Stewart McKelvey, withdrew from the case due to a potential conflict of interest. Facebook / Remembering Gerry Cotten In the weeks since Quadriga Fintech Solutions Corp. belatedly made his death public, the exchange's furious users have raised questions. Gerald Cotten, 30, died abruptly in December 2018 of complications relating to Crohn's disease while on honeymoon in Jaipur, India, with his wife, Jennifer Robertson. [17][20], In 2017, Bitcoin experienced a speculative frenzy rising in price from about US$1,000 to almost US$20,000. He is believed to have carried out Ponzi scheme scams since he was just 15 - such as playing a role in pre-crypto digital token eGold, according to investigator Amy Castor. [28], Quadriga used an unusual teller-window system for customers to withdraw their money. [9][10], The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were reportedly investigating the company. ^ "Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing crypto millions". Indeed, QuadrigaCX launched just three months after sceptre put out a call to build a crypto exchange. It was alleged that Patryn was involved in a money-laundering ring under a different nameOmar Dhanani.