Further complicating the matter the company's co-founder Michael Patryn was revealed to actually be a man named Omar Dhanani, who had previously been convicted in the US of identity fraud. You get rid of a lot of the regulations, he said on a podcast in 2014. Disclosure: Mathias Dpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member. Investigations into the firm revealed that Mr Cotten made numerous fake accounts on Quadriga to influence trades on the platform, at one time being involved personally in 87 per cent of transactions. It stated that Gerald Cotten committed fraud by opening accounts under aliases and crediting himself with fictitious currency and crypto asset balances, which he traded with unsuspecting clients and that "What happened at Quadriga was an old-fashioned fraud wrapped in modern technology. , one of the co-founders, registered the domain name for QuadrigaCXnot Gerry. Either this is a 1 in 100 million coincidence or he is still alive. [17][20], In 2017, Bitcoin experienced a speculative frenzy rising in price from about US$1,000 to almost US$20,000. Fourteen trading accounts that were also examined were used to trade on other exchanges. Still, questions about the missing money only mounted when two. How did Gerald Cotten die? A Quadriga mystery, from India to Canada and Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Premieres in 2022 pic.twitter.com/rP9iFJHkWm. Their online exchange launched after the first month. lets break it all down. Finally, the OSC discovered something that cracked the case wide open. For instance, had Cottens death certificate, which spelled his name as Cottan, been faked? #GeraldCottenReallyDead #GeraldCottenStillAliveGerald Cotten Really Dead ? It just wasnt there. reporters had a hunch that this was Gerry Cotten, and traced the account to another online den of thieves, BlackHatWorld. [49], On 5 March 2019, Justice Wood extended Quadriga's court protection to 23 April. 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,. I just prayed. Neither Costodian or Quadriga could access the funds. , 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. Where was the rest of the money? The doctor, reported the Globe, initially diagnosed Cotten with little more than travelers diahrrea, but kept him in hospital just in case. All that money vanished into the crypto ether and only once investigations occured did people start to think that it may have been a scam all along. His clients were locked out of about $250 million, and investigators later. But when co-founder Cotten died during a honeymoon in India, the money was seemingly lost forever. 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. Business picked up when Bitcoin hit the big time in 2017, reaching prices close to $20,000. Dying from Crohn's disease when only 1.6% of sufferers from this disease die of it and to happen to die from . No longer a likable nerd, investors thought that Gerald, now sceptre, had been operating scams since he was 15. There's a small chance that someone was investigating his old accounts and that they accessed his BlackHat but it's very unlikely. Where is Gerald Cotten now from Netflix's Hunt for the Crypto - HITC All Filters. Given the intrigue, some went so far as to question whether Mr Cotten had really died and demanded his body be exhumed. , initially diagnosed Cotten with little more than travelers diahrrea, but kept him in hospital just in case. But Cotten was a bad trader: losing money hand over fist, he gambled away about $150 million of customer funds. [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. Netflix Special on Bitcoin Fraudster Gerald Cotten, His Wife, and QuadrigaCX. - October, November, December - during all that time," he said. Reported by Fansided, Globe and Mail journalist Nathan Vanderklippe spoke to Dr. Sharma, who dealt with Cotten when he came into the hospital. Companies have backups, safeguards to protect against this kind of thing. 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 lost password, a sudden death and $180M in missing crypto 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. Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness (Holt). So what exactly happened to Cotten, and is he still alive somewhere sitting on a mountain of stolen crypto? 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. Mystery of crypto CEO who died, taking $250 million with him Cryptocurrency investors locked out of $190m after exchange founder dies, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The user said that he left the company in 2016, and that the company was legitimate at the time. 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. Mystery of rogue Bitcoin trader who 'died' taking with him password to The shocking story has been recounted in a new Netflix documentary, Trust No One: The Hunt For The Crypto King. 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. 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. Fake trading: I'm almost certain that he was trading with fake crypto, Chris Markay was one of the accounts that Cotten used to trade his "crypto" he also is known to have other aliases Sceptre Gerry, Aretwo Deetwo and Seethree Peaohh. Gerald Cotten. Lammer believes the evidence does suggest that Cotten died suddenly - having battled Crohn's disease for a number of years, even though the timing was suspicious. There is a clear lesson here that having a single person owning this information creates a huge vulnerability.. Indeed, QuadrigaCX launched just three months after sceptre put out a call to build a crypto exchange. goes to Cottens hospital in India to put the whole fake death thing to bed. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. But pour in it did. There were other problems around that time. 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. Where Is Gerald Cotten Now? - Vimbuzz.com Quadriga had four employees in 2015 with offices in Vancouver and Toronto, but ran out of money by June 2015. He was 30-years-old. Supposedly, Cottens business associates didnt even know he was married. He passed away in 2018 with the secret of $250 million. Gerald Cotten is allegedly meant to have died from Crohn's disease after the exchange crashed. He was able to keep the venture, called S&S Investments, going for three months, before it folded and investors money was gone. The business was run from Cotten's encrypted laptop from Cotten's home in Fall River, Nova Scotia. Here Is Why People Think Gerald Cotten Is Still Alive. And, wildly, was Jennifer, his wife, even real? His death was kept secret for a month by the firm before it was finally announced - and it was found he had spent millions in investors' money funding his own lavish lifestyle. ET. Though some dont believe Mr Cotten is really gone, the money from Quadriga is. firms", "What happens when your bitcoin banker dies? He is believed to have scooped around around $115million in crypto from his own accounts and put them into high risk financial bets - many of which crashed, costing him more money than Quadriga ever actually made. The two first met in November 2014 and had been together for some time before tying the knot in October 2018. There's only two people who really know what happened in India. 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. Did he Die? Netflix announced an upcoming documentary about the Quadriga Bitcoin saga and the death of CEO Gerald Cotten. However, in 2018, Bitcoin prices crashed and many began withdrawing their funds from Quadriga, except they were being met with error messages before the exchanges website stopped working in 2019. He was 30-years-old at the time of his death. In December of 2018, the jet-setting crypto couple headed to India for their honeymoon, where Mr Cotten died of complications from Crohns disease, 12 days after modifying his will. Thinking that Jennifer had murdered Cotten, the Telegram group spiraled out of control. [7][8], Quadriga co-founder Michael Patryn was identified by The Globe and Mail as Omar Dhanani, who was convicted on identity theft charges in the U.S. and served 18 months in Federal prison. Netflix Special Explores Gerald Cotten's Wife and the QuadrigaCX Scandal Subsequent investigations found that Michael Patryn, one of the co-founders, registered the domain name for QuadrigaCXnot Gerry. They reported that Jennifer said she couldnt get into Cottens laptops, 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 laptop computer from which Gerry carried out the companies business is encrypted and I do not know the password or recovery key. 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. A sneak preview of the Netflix doc contains images that suggest the documentary will show the investors dive deeper into these conspiracies. The podcast was reported by Aaron Lammer and Lane Brown.[55]. [48], On 5 February 2019, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Michael J. [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. When Quadriga CEO Gerald Cotten died suddenly in 2018, the passcodes for his cryptocurrency exchange died with him. It has led the pack of other streaming giants, producing the most projects in the true-crime genre as of 2020. Robertsons sister, for the record, doesnt think that Cotten had fabricated his relationship with Jennifer. [16] In 2014 only C$7.4 million worth of bitcoin were exchanged on Quadriga. "What Quadriga really did with the money that customers gave it to buy Bitcoin remains a mystery," according to Chainalysis. 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". Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Fifteen years later, Mr Cotten, known as Gerry, would be accused of swindling people online of a much bigger prize. 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? She says she never received the passwords. He would grow up to be a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and run Canadas largest crypto exchange, QuadrigaCX, before dying under bizarre circumstances in 2018, leaving investors looking for a missing $180 million Canadian dollars. It sucks.". 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. Crypto CEO's Mysterious Death Will Be Made Into Netflix Doc 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. She had accompanied him to a hospital in Jaipur the previous day and he was diagnosed with septic shock, perforation, peritonitis, and intestinal obstruction. He and his wife, Jennifer Robertson, jetted all over the world on private planes, visiting chic locales in Paris, Hawaii, and Morocco. Quadriga's accounts are estimated to have held 190million ($250million). What Happened to Jennifer Robertson and Where Is Gerald Cotten's Wife Now? His wife has said she was "upset and disappointed" to learn about the extent of the fraud at her husbands company, writing in a 2019 statement, she wasnt aware or involved in Gerrys trading activities, nor his appropriation of customer funds." But, due to the strict security of crypto, we may never know. [53], A Netflix documentary titled Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King about the story of Gerald Cotten was released in March 2022. It was one of the only games in town [for crypto enthusiasts], Sheona McDonald, who directed the film, told The New York Post. And why did the Indian hospital that treated Cotten misspell his name on his death certificate? Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, Alex Murdaugh looks unrecognizable in new mugshot hours after sentencing, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP. The tech whiz however didn't even need to do it - being an early believer in crypto, he likely would have got rich without the need to scam people. The thing about conspiracy theories, though, is that they mutate out of control very quickly, and arent always reflective of the latest evidence. 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. They surfed his social media accounts at first, then traced Cottens digital footprints even more closely for clues. The podcast was hosted by Takara Small. But the mingling didnt end there: the crypto kingpin also allegedly mixed client money with his own, according to investigators, funding the lavish lifestyle he became known for. Overcast with rain showers at times. [17] Michael Gastauer, Chief Executive of WB21, has been named in a civil lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as part of a US$165 million fraud. Cotten's widow has rarely spoken publicly, but in an affidavit has described herself as being subject to "slanderous comments" over accusations her husband faked his death. Lawyers for customers of an insolvent cryptocurrency exchange have asked police to exhume the body of the companys founder, amid efforts to recover about $190m in Bitcoin which were locked in an online black hole after his death. Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten | FAKE Behind 'Hunt For The Crypto King' Netflix It certainly started to look like fraud, said one anonymous investor in the doc. [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. I'm 99% sure he is still alive living nicely. Cotton's sudden death from complications of Crohn's disease aged 30 shocked the crypto world - but many believe he may have faked his death in an elaborate "exit scam". Cotten neglected to pass on the passwords to the accounts, and in 2019, when investigators tracked down Cotten's digital wallets, all the money was gone. Many believe that Cotten faked his death, however, as part of an exit scam to get away with. Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). Mr Cotten, 30 at the time of his death, seemed to be living the dream life of a financial titan. 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. Is Gerald Cotten Still Alive? Did He Really Die? - The Cinemaholic Despite no concrete evidenceindeed, the murdered mans first name was not the same as Robertsons ex-husband, some angry investors lobbed death threats at Jennifer, convinced that she had murdered Cotten, too. 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. 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. Customers have since struggled to regain access to their money, citing withdrawl issues and lack of communication from the company. Gerald Cotten was 15 when he ran his first documented get-rich-quick scheme. The Globe and Mail reporters were on the case, and used photos to conclude that they were the same person. Cottens death will likely remain a mystery, with some believing that he is still residing somewhere in the world with the stolen money. A C$100,000 trust fund was made to provide lifelong care for Cotten's two chihuahuas in case of Robertson's death. Some evidence suggested that Jennifer, if real, was acting strangely. Image Source: Social Media. "[46] The Official Ontario Securities report on Quadriga is attached here. 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. Ernst & Young was able to recover $24m in cash and $9m in assets held by Robertson. Gerald Cotten is a bitcoin millionaire from Canada whose death, supposedly from complications relating to Crohn's disease, is now being questioned. Quadriga's customers are owed C$260 million in cryptocurrency and cash. Jennifer, scared for her safety, entered a safe house. [52], The CBC released a 6-episode podcast about Quadriga and the death of its founder called A Death in Cryptoland. #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/ [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. [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. While Robertson has possession of the laptop containing the necessary passwords, she remains locked out. After some more digging, the reporter found an order form filled out by one Gerald Cotten. There's also other posts on his Murdoch1337 account that are weird he asks for people to sell him old reddit accounts presumably because he would use these alt accounts to downvote people trying to slander his company or he would make posts on these alts saying how great Quadriga is. 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. Was the CEOknown for his luxurious lifestyle, which included jets, supercars and vacationsmurdered by a mob debt collector or a jealous lover? Browse Locations. 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. On the 9th, he allegedly died after episodes of cardiac arrest. CRYPTO scams are popping up all over the internet. One source in the doco goes as far as to claim Cotton may have used a substance known as "Haitian zombie powder" to fake his death. Re-thinking indemnification for smart contract risks", "Bitcoin investors face long delays cashing out, criticize two B.C. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/rGymJ5f9Or. He graduated from York with a bachelor of business administration in 2010. This was my entire savings, built through ten years of work, said one disgruntled customer in the doc. Exit Scam host Aaron Lammer told CoinDesk: "My read was that, on some level, Gerry was addicted to scamming, "Addicted to stealing peoples money. One of the. NOW WATCH: Netflix is headed for a huge profit milestone in 2018, Personal Finance Insider's picks for best cryptocurrency exchanges. Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing - CBC The couple were on their honeymoon in India, where Jennifer had dreams of opening an orphanage. "[18], The company tried to raise money and list on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) working with Patryn. Was he avoiding something or someone? [37] According to an affidavit by the CEO's widow, approximately 115,000 customers are owed C$250 million (US$190 million), most of which was cryptocurrency held in Quadriga's cold wallet in the laptop that only the deceased CEO had access to. 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. Thats when the. Cotten was young, energetic, passionate about cryptocurrency so when. QuadrigaCX's Crypto Accounts Were Emptied Months Before CEO's After some more digging, the reporter found an order form filled out by one Gerald Cotten. seeks to unravel the mystery of Gerald Cotten, the CEO of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX, who died in 2018. A new Netflix true-crime documentary is tackling a bizarre story from the world of cryptocurrency. Evidence of him faking death: There's lots of bizaare things that are suspicious. Mar. Was a recently-active Skype account proof he was still alive? 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.

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