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Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by uberman on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @02:01PM (#19321574)
For some reason this sounds like the plot of a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

CEO of Crypto Company...

1) Takes time off to build orphanage in region noted for fake deaths.

2) Subsequently dies unexpectedly.

3) Is immediately cremated.

4) Wife waits a month before saying "oh by the way he is dead"

5) Wife claims all keys on encrypted laptop

6) World watches as wallets mysteriously empty

7) Experts crack laptop

8) All wallets turn up in fact empty

9) $140 million disappears into the ether

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOjLuy7VoAATprU.jpg

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by tim333 on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:35PM (#19323622)
And the widow is left with just the 17 properties, 2 cars, yacht and plane that he earned through honest hard work.

Another thing you could work into the plot is $9m appears to be with WB21 "Banking Redefined" which claimed a million users but was discovered to only have 135 downloads of its app (now removed), is run by a convicted fraudster and was awarded "Global Banker Award 2018" in a black tie ceremony that they seem to have set up themselves to give themselves the award (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbKMdhpwbaw). They are still going I think if you are looking for a safe place to put your money. https://amycastor.com/2019/03/01/diving-into-wb21-the-compan...

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by 908087 on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @09:53PM (#19325216)
That "award" ceremony video is both surreal and ridiculously cringe-inducing at the same time. It wouldn't surprise me if he actually felt like he had "achieved" something when he gave himself that award, either.

It was like you were watching his fantasy of what people would say about him if he was a productive member of society instead of a criminal and fraud.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by qqqwerty on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @11:52PM (#19325596)
FWIW, this is only marginally worse than your standard 'industry award' in that he had the nerve to give it to himself. Pretty much every industry has a boatload of meaningless awards. It is done largely for marketing and for 'social engineering'[1]. It is cheap (both in cost and tact) but effective.

[1] Curries favor with the awardees, creates an 'in group' etc...

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by wallace_f on Thursday March 07, 2019 @03:07AM (#19326360)
Feynman spoke at length on the shallowness of awards.

>epaulets, uniform, position: it has nothing to do with something intrinsic of that person.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by Scoundreller on Thursday March 07, 2019 @05:37PM (#19333302)
I see someone that listened to Hidden Brain last week!

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/25/697641324/better-than-cash-ho...

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by BenjaminBlair on Thursday March 07, 2019 @09:53AM (#19328471)
When you have the chance to fulfill your childhood wet dreams fantasy you go for it. Those fake claps, the huge bouquet, beautiful ladies...
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by Scoundreller on Thursday March 07, 2019 @05:40PM (#19333333)
Placebos work even when you tell people they’re placebos.

I’m sure he went to bed proud pulling all that off. It still looks like a lot of work.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by vectorEQ on Thursday March 07, 2019 @07:44AM (#19327540)
why is this strange. that's what they do all the time with tech giants who die :D how some awkward old videos and rejoice that they took everyones money for hardly any effort :D
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by harrumph on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @10:24PM (#19325306)
> black tie ceremony

OMG that trophy is indistinguishable from any other tacky chunk of lucite that, say, a particularly motivated carpet distributor might earn as a sales award.

Not to insult carpet distributors, whose work with tangible goods is worth at minimum 500x more than what any fintech slob contributes to the world.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by wallace_f on Thursday March 07, 2019 @12:09AM (#19325667)
Assuming their contribution is even positive
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by Arn_Thor on Thursday March 07, 2019 @04:40AM (#19326743)
The applause echoes so tellingly in the mostly empty room..
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by swivelmaster on Thursday March 07, 2019 @11:02PM (#19334963)
It also fades in rather than starting. They took a longer applause clip and started in the middle. As someone with a lot of audio production experience, this stuck out to me immediately. So either they used stock audio or there was an edit they didn't hide properly (or both).
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by blue4 on Thursday March 07, 2019 @08:13AM (#19327716)
Looked like those hilarious techniques taken from street magic to pull off the illusion.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by api on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @09:04PM (#19324975)
Sounds like typical stuff for the cryptocurrency world.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by gumby on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:50PM (#19323779)
Or perhaps “widow”
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by vermilingua on Thursday March 07, 2019 @03:24AM (#19326429)
Perhaps seems pretty accurate yes
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by rchaud on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @03:56PM (#19322686)
DiCaprio? This whole affair has been at best a Weekend at Bernie's-level plot. The accounts were emptied 8 months before the death, and yet QCX pretended they were solvent the whole time so they could keep the party going.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by stuntkite on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:22PM (#19322923)
In the sequel his ghost solves blocks when you play a latin rhythm and two young/broke computer enthusiasts who moved to Puerto Rico to make it big are the only ones who can see him because they smoked weed that grew in soil mixed with his ashes.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by jjoonathan on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:43PM (#19323166)
They should make that one first, because unlike the documentary I'd actually pay to see it.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by CosmicShadow on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:14PM (#19323440)
Harold & Kumar go Crypto
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by subcosmos on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:02AM (#19326098)
Buy FyreCoin
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by rchaud on Thursday March 07, 2019 @10:19AM (#19328669)
The white paper says it's personally backed by Ja Rule and Blink 182.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by CosmicShadow on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:23PM (#19323528)
This is one of the best comments I've ever seen on HN, oh my god this movie would be awesome!
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by stuntkite on Thursday March 07, 2019 @09:10AM (#19328088)
This is both one of the dumbest and most upvoted things I've ever posted to HN. I mean, I think it's funny.... but the reasons I think it's funny make me really sad and all the internet points makes me sadder.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by rangibaby on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @11:50PM (#19325586)
How High: Blockchain Edition
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by karlstanley on Thursday March 07, 2019 @09:44AM (#19328369)
Would legit watch this movie.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by bredren on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:21PM (#19322911)
This is an unnecessary takedown of Weekend at Bernie's.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by stcredzero on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @07:38PM (#19324556)
DiCaprio? This whole affair has been at best a Weekend at Bernie's-level plot.

I think it would be best done with the production values of "Catch Me If You Can."

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by james_s_tayler on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @09:05PM (#19324977)
Crypto me outside
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by DSingularity on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @03:59PM (#19322721)
The Great Gatsby...
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by Workaholic_87 on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @11:44PM (#19325562)
More like Basketball Diaries....a bunch of junkies using and abusing
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by maxander on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:13PM (#19322845)
Perhaps blockchains’ lasting impact will be as an overused plot device in future period pieces set in the early 21st century.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by quickthrower2 on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:25PM (#19322960)
And making blockchain to SQL Server migration consultants wealthy too.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by godzillabrennus on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @08:25PM (#19324805)
Not enough working blockchain implementations for this to exist.

I wonder what all the white paper consultants are doing now that their profession is over?

Probably working on a cannabis company.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by jessaustin on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:54PM (#19323261)
We would have believed postgres, but that's just far-fetched.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by maxander on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:36PM (#19323633)
Blockchain to CSV, realistically.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by quickthrower2 on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:50PM (#19323783)
This is an enterprise solution. Oracle is even better.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by pratnala on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:58PM (#19323858)
cosmos db is where it is at
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by taude on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @09:07PM (#19324986)
I can't believe y'all aren't taking advantage of using MongoDB's data loss feature as an opportunity here in true HN taste.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by ljm on Thursday March 07, 2019 @03:27AM (#19326439)
Chekhov’s Database: if a No-SQL DB is referred to in passing, it is inevitable that it will fail to persist at the most inconvenient time.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by bitxbitxbitcoin on Thursday March 07, 2019 @10:34AM (#19328808)
Wouldn’t it be SQL Server to blockchain migration consultants that are getting the wealth as opposed to the other way around?
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by magnamerc on Thursday March 07, 2019 @10:21AM (#19328694)
Ah yes, because blockchain data structures are completely useless...
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by quickthrower2 on Thursday March 07, 2019 @03:43PM (#19332150)
Extravagant is the word I’d use. You can store crypto sigs in a varchar(max)
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by gowld on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @09:28PM (#19325097)
Isn't blockchain/cryptocurrency popular enough that it should be in summer blockbusters / James Bond / Avengers movies alreadh?
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by dredmorbius on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @11:11PM (#19325450)
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by kkarakk on Thursday March 07, 2019 @06:47AM (#19327288)
wow literally no fiction, either documentaries or theorycrafting
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by dredmorbius on Thursday March 07, 2019 @05:47PM (#19333390)
IMDB's search is limited to titles, and the trend is still relatively new.

A search of synopses and/or other elements might produce something closer to the original request, though I'm not aware of a good resource for this.

The fact that there are multiple extant and in-production projects does suggest some general interest, though.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by justinclift on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:13AM (#19326136)
Plot twist:

10) The CEO was really an actor... hired by the "wife", who masterminded the whole thing

Alternative plot twist:

10b) Both the CEO and wife are hired actors. The head of the orphanage was the mastermind

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by ljm on Thursday March 07, 2019 @03:32AM (#19326457)
SCP Twist: the orphanage itself was the mastermind; it manifests when a blockchain fintech startup launches and exists solely to de-materialise the founders and redistribute crypto funds. The children of the orphanage are yet to be identified, though it is speculated that they are the disappeared fintech founders.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by SNACKeR99 on Thursday March 07, 2019 @10:14AM (#19328630)
Plot twist: the adoption of the orphans is in fact the canonical blockchain transaction and the recent slowdown in verifications is due to a lack of orphans. This need for more orphans is the fuel for global warfare ultimately turning the purpose of humanity into that of being slave to the blockchain.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by JVIDEL on Friday March 08, 2019 @03:56AM (#19336092)
This sounds like something Kojima would write for another Metal Gear game.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by csel on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:36AM (#19326232)
More plot twist - (taken from cbc article) "Government records also reveal that Robertson (wife of Gerald Cotten) has used three family names.

Deeds for properties she bought in 2016 show she was once known as Jennifer Forgeron. On Dec. 1, 2016, Nova Scotia's Royal Gazette announced she was changing her name from Jennifer Kathleen Margaret Griffith to her current name, Jennifer Kathleen Margaret Robertson."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/quadrigacx-nova-s...

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by 0-_-0 on Thursday March 07, 2019 @08:08AM (#19327673)
Forgeron? Who uses that as a fake name?
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by kbutler on Thursday March 07, 2019 @08:59AM (#19328008)
Sounds like a succession of "almost bad" names: "Robertson" (robber), "Griffith" (grifter/grifteth?), "Forgeron" (forger)
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by tripzilch on Thursday March 07, 2019 @11:49AM (#19329576)
Aha, so it's like one of those movie plots where the villain thinks they're so much smarter than everybody else, they just have to drop hints everywhere.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by MisterTea on Thursday March 07, 2019 @08:06AM (#19327664)
> The head of the orphanage was the mastermind

The orphans are the mastermind. The headmaster was nothing more than two kids in a suit. They're all on a beach sipping capri sun playing nintendo switch.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by lygaret on Thursday March 07, 2019 @09:39AM (#19328317)
They had a long day at the business factory, and just want to relax and watch R-rated movies for a while.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by swivelmaster on Thursday March 07, 2019 @11:03PM (#19334967)
Hey look it's uhhh.... Vincent ... um... Adultman!
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by StavrosK on Thursday March 07, 2019 @05:42AM (#19327035)
And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for us meddling kids...
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by drewblaisdell on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:34PM (#19323063)
> region noted for fake deaths

There is a place that is known for this specifically? Where can I read more about this?

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by uberman on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @06:47PM (#19324185)
Google for "fake death mafia". You can add in the name of the CEO if you like, but for me articles about his "death" are already the top hits
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by evaru on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @10:38PM (#19325357)
Google for "fake death mafia" returns a bunch of articles that talk about this death, and conveniently have the phrase "in a region known for fake deaths".

I don't understand how that becomes a reference point for any region being known for fake deaths. The search results in fact make it look like someone used his death to slander a whole region.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by whatshisface on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @11:12PM (#19325457)
The region became known for fake deaths when the news started implying that it was known for fake deaths. That's how facts are born.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by ksec on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:17PM (#19331188)
>That's how facts are born.

I mean WOW. In just a few words you manage to describe one of the biggest problem we have today. Luckily Most of the HN crowds are not interested in the "Answer", but why it is the answer. And whether the why was plausible.

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by subcosmos on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:03AM (#19326106)
That's how business opportunities are born!
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by hyperionos on Thursday March 07, 2019 @04:53PM (#19332896)
Next step: Google "fake death philippines" - at least for me that brought up a telegraph article [1] which explains a bit more.

[1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/philipp...

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by selimthegrim on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:39PM (#19323129)
There are several documentaries on YouTube exploring how easy it is to fake death certificates in, say, Delhi. Search for ‘quacks’
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by gowld on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @09:33PM (#19325121)
Before YouTube/cruptocurrency got big, Delhi was known for its counterfeit industry for winning "first to invent" patent fights.

There are companies that have stocks of decades or century-old paper that they use to forge aged government documents. I can't find a link to a story at the moment :-(

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by hnzix on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @10:35PM (#19325344)
Can we crowdfund some patent troll busting? Or take down Amazon's stupid one-click patent. Preferably using proof written on an 1800s parchment with quill ink.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by rjf72 on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:07AM (#19326121)
Amazon's one click patent expired a couple of years ago.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by JVIDEL on Friday March 08, 2019 @03:59AM (#19336103)
Got more on that?
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by TrevorJ on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @05:15PM (#19323448)
didn't initially get in hits for that search term that were relevant, what am I looking for?
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by selimthegrim on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @06:17PM (#19323992)
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by uberman on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @06:48PM (#19324194)
Google for "fake death mafia"
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by ihattendorf on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:26PM (#19331285)
I didn't find much besides talk of the CEO, and your comment (which is the 4th result).
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by rockxloose on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:01AM (#19326095)
> Where can I read more about this?

What is the average life expectancy there?

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by SkidanovAlex on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @07:37PM (#19324555)
Love the "into the ether" pun
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by basch on Thursday March 07, 2019 @02:01PM (#19331023)
"A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that investigators cracked Cotten's laptop and discovered money was missing. In fact, they have possession of his laptop and identified money was missing through public blockchain records."

That will be a much less exciting scene in the movie. Itll be some dramatized "people around a computer watching traceroute"

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by pysxul on Thursday March 07, 2019 @06:10AM (#19327154)
It's the wife with the chandelier in the library
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by smpetrey on Thursday March 07, 2019 @08:34AM (#19327855)
Seriously. This is a next-level conspiracy unfolding.
Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by steeleduncan on Thursday March 07, 2019 @06:58AM (#19327332)
> 6) World watches as wallets mysteriously empty

I missed this. Are there transactions showing the money moving from the cold storage address(es) after his (alleged) death?

Re:Experts cracked laptop of crypto CEO who died with $137M,... by droithomme on Wednesday March 06, 2019 @04:35PM (#19323078)
Great summary, thanks, that was genuinely helpful.