Neither Costodian or Quadriga could access the funds. He appointed Peter Wedlake of Grant Thornton to be chief restructuring officer. Gerald Cotten, the founder of QuadrigaCX, was thought to have had sole access to the funds and coins exchanged on it. His body was repatriated to . [28], Quadriga used an unusual teller-window system for customers to withdraw their money. Either the funds were never received or quickly went missing. "I kept asking them: Where's my money? And not even. 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. Cotten was the only one with access to necessary permissions. Where is Gerald Cotten now from Netflix's Hunt for the Crypto - HITC Mystery of rogue Bitcoin trader who 'died' taking with - The Sun Ernst & Young was able to recover $24m in cash and $9m in assets held by Robertson. 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. 5 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. Investors who lost $190m demand exhumation of cryptocurrency mogul Browse Locations. The shocking story has been recounted in a new Netflix documentary, Trust No One: The Hunt For The Crypto King. 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. But when co-founder Cotten died during a honeymoon in India, the money was seemingly lost forever. Where is Gerald Cotten's Wife Jen Robertson Now? - The Cinemaholic 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. 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. Soon enough, QuadrigaCXs customers struggled to withdraw money from the exchange. Their online exchange launched after the first month. [17][20], In 2017, Bitcoin experienced a speculative frenzy rising in price from about US$1,000 to almost US$20,000. It was a perfect match, sparked up on Tinder, she said in the documentary. 'Bitcoin widow' reveals how she fell victim to her own husband's $215m Subsequent investigations found that Michael Patryn, one of the co-founders, registered the domain name for QuadrigaCXnot Gerry. Zou resorted to the cryptocurrency scheme to avoid bank charges when moving Vancouver, shifting his money from the US to a Canadian account. 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. firms", "What happens when your bitcoin banker dies? It certainly started to look like fraud, said one anonymous investor in the doc. The estate includes an airplane, a sailboat, a 2017 Lexus, and real estate in Nova Scotia and Kelowna, British Columbia. There's a small chance that someone was investigating his old accounts and that they accessed his BlackHat but it's very unlikely. A big chunk of it was given to him by his parents. Gerald Cotten was 15 when he ran his first documented get-rich-quick scheme. [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. Quadriga's accounts are estimated to have held 190million ($250million). Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness (Holt). I'm 99% sure he is still alive living nicely. Citing decomposition concerns, lawyers requested the exhumation be completed no later than spring 2020. But months later, customers still couldnt take their money out. His wife Jennifer Robertson said he had promised to create a mechanism that turned thepasswords over to her when he died. [42], Quadriga continued to accept deposits until 26 January. Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). For instance, had Cottens death certificate, which spelled his name as Cottan, been faked? Following Quadrigas implosion in 2019, it was investigated by the Ontario Securities Commission, which concluded that, "what happened at Quadriga was an old-fashioned fraud wrapped in modern technology. Official investigations into the matter have yet to produce any definitive answers. [34][35], On 14 January 2019,[36] Quadriga announced that their CEO, Gerald Cotten, had died the month prior from Crohn's disease while doing volunteer work at an orphanage in India. Netflix Special Explores Gerald Cotten's Wife and the QuadrigaCX Scandal He died just nine days into his honeymoon due to an acute stomach ache. The company raised C$850,000 but cancelled plans to list on the exchange in early 2016. ET. Then the Ontario Securities Commission opened an investigation. There were other problems around that time. pic.twitter.com/rGymJ5f9Or. In court filings, it was revealed that Mr Cottens email was listed as Midas Golds contact. While Robertson has possession of the laptop containing the necessary passwords, she remains locked out. We explain who Gerald Cotten is, the subject of this documentary, and reveal where he is now, including the mystery surrounding his downfall. Everyone knows the story about the now-defunct QuadrigaCX . I lost $500,000 life savings in cryptocurrency after 'trader DIED with (His wife says he is in fact dead and witnessed his funeral). [2], In January 2019 Ernst & Young reported that Quadriga did not have a bank account, but instead used third-party payment processors. 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 OSC tugged on the same thread, but neither could get hold of him. Was the CEOknown for his luxurious lifestyle, which included jets, supercars and vacationsmurdered by a mob debt collector or a jealous lover? Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 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. Things began to sour, however, in 2018, when the price of Bitcoin collapsed. 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. Premieres in 2022 pic.twitter.com/rP9iFJHkWm. Netflixs documentary definitely seems to be in the corner that Cotten did die, despite the mystery surrounding his death. Uncertainty about the missing funds has fueled speculation that Cotten may still be alive. Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten died in 2018, taking password to access funds with him Credit: Netflix. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, A lost password, a sudden death and $180M in missing crypto, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, 50 cash with friend referrals at Virgin Mobile, 15% off extra plans with this Vodafone promo, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. "[40][41], Ernst & Young found five Quadriga cold wallet addresses, but they were empty, containing no cryptocurrency since April 2018. Netflix has tried to get to the bottom of things in its new 90-minute doc; read on to uncover the wild tale of Gerald Cotten. 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? Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing - CBC More than three years after the sudden death of Quadriga CEO Gerald Cotten and the revelations that the company was a massive cryptocurrency scam, his widow,. Thats when the. Investors who believed that Cotten had faked his own death and ran away with the money had made one huge assumption: that Cotten had money to steal. Jennifer RobertsonGerry Cotten,. ", "Vancouver crypto exchange, CIBC clash over frozen accounts", "Judge rules with CIBC, grants possession of disputed Quadriga funds to Ontario Superior Court", "The fintech 'genius' accused in $165m fraud", "Crypto Firm Cited in Bitfinex Case Had Also Worked With Quadriga", "Quadriga co-founder served time in U.S. for role in identity-theft ring, documents reveal", "Criminal Past Haunts Surviving Founder of Troubled Crypto Exchange", "Crypto firm CEO with $190 million password did die in Jaipur hospital", "Cryptocurrency Exchange Says It Can't Access $190 Million After CEO Unexpectedly Died", "Millions in cryptocurrencies frozen in Canada after only person who had password dies in India", "Crypto Exchange Founder Filed Will 12 Days Before He Died", "Quadriga CEO, whose death ignited a cryptocurrency storm, a kind man with taste for fine things, say friends", "Crypto Exchange Mystery Deepens as Board Seeks Court Protection", "Crypto exchange Quadriga files for creditor protection", "Quadriga mystery deepens with little evidence of cold wallets containing $250M", "A Crypto-Mystery: Is $136 Million Stuck or Missing? X-rays. Here's a link to the BlackHat forum. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The thing about conspiracy theories, though, is that they mutate out of control very quickly, and arent always reflective of the latest evidence. NOW WATCH: Netflix is headed for a huge profit milestone in 2018, Personal Finance Insider's picks for best cryptocurrency exchanges. Gerald Cotten is still alive (proof) : r/QuadrigaCX - Reddit Now . 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. The thing is, a CEOs death shouldnt lock customers out of their money. 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. Exit Scam host Aaron Lammer told CoinDesk: "My read was that, on some level, Gerry was addicted to scamming, "Addicted to stealing peoples money. Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten | FAKE Behind 'Hunt For The Crypto King' Netflix | Where Are They Now?Subscribe Here! Netflix has seen a boom with its true-crime docuseries, from 'Tiger King' to 'Making a Murderer.' [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. About C$1.2 billion worth of bitcoin was exchanged on Quadriga. It left Robertson the entire C$9.6-million estate and named her as the trustee. His body was embalmed and sent back to Canada for a closed-casket funeral. ", He added: "We thought we were looking for basically a rich guy who had stolen money, Now either [Cotten is] dead, or if hes alive, hes a gambling addict whos broke.". The two first met in November 2014 and had been together for some time before tying the knot in October 2018. Mr Cotten, 30 at the time of his death, seemed to be living the dream life of a financial titan. Still, questions about the missing money only mounted when two Globe and Mail reporters followed up on the case. started to be convinced that he was dead, after all. 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. Netflix announced an upcoming documentary about the Quadriga Bitcoin saga and the death of CEO Gerald Cotten. https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/hiring-a-programmer-website-like-bitstamp-bitcoin-trading-project.605236/. 4 people named Gerald Betzen found in California, Texas and Massachusetts. The couple were on their honeymoon in India, where Jennifer had dreams of opening an orphanage. Mystery of crypto CEO who died, taking $250 million with him CRYPTO scams are popping up all over the internet. [17] In June 2017, Quadriga announced that they had lost ethereum worth US$14 million due to a smart contract error. He was able to keep the venture, called S&S Investments, going for three months, before it folded and investors money was gone. Gerald Cotten's body should be exhumed, investors in QuadrigaCX tell [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. 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. Mar. Widow of Quadriga crypto founder Gerald Cotten says she had no idea [19] Other than a few contractors, it had no employees, offices or bank accounts thereafter. [49], On 5 March 2019, Justice Wood extended Quadriga's court protection to 23 April. 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. [24][25][26], According to court filings, Quadriga also used WB21 as a payment processor. [27] Another payment processor used by Quadriga, Crypto Capital, was named in a civil suit filed by the New York Attorney General in April 2019. 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. Image Source: Social Media. 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. Its pretty much money by people for people.. Where Is Gerald Cotten's Wife, Jennifer Robertson Now? - Ecelebritymirror Jennifer Robertson, the widow of QuadrigaCX founder Gerald (Gerry) Cotten, will be allowed to keep more than $90,000 cash and a Jeep Cherokee in a settlement agreement with the company's bankruptcy trustee. Gerald Betzen (4 matches): Phone Number, Email, Address - Spokeo Thinking that Jennifer had murdered Cotten, the Telegram group spiraled out of control. He was one of the wealthiest people in the crypto world, and his company was at its pinnacle. Still, all this evidence was circumstantialinvestors hadnt yet found a smoking gun. 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. We pay for your stories! Cotten was young, energetic, passionate about cryptocurrency so when. Disclosure: Mathias Dpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member. 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. His death sparked online debates and string theories on Reddit and. But even the forensic accountants only managed to trace $46 million of the total $215 million customers had deposited onto the exchange. [50], Quadriga's lawyer, the firm Stewart McKelvey, withdrew from the case due to a potential conflict of interest. Gerald Cotten was the founder of one of Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Quadriga CX. I didnt know that Gerry was married, he says. This was more of a gamblers high than a rich guys high as he pursued more and more of other peoples money, the stakes went up. https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/hiring-a-programmer-website-like-bitstamp-bitcoin-trading-project.605236/. His death left investors locked out of their money and left Jennifer Robertson, Gerry's wife . And why did the Indian hospital that treated Cotten misspell his name on his death certificate? It was alleged that Patryn was involved in a money-laundering ring under a different nameOmar Dhanani. 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. The tech-savvy individual traced domain names, links, and trades on the blockchain, discovering a lengthy track-record of schemes, from Mr Cottens early days on TalkGold, to his association with a business partner named Michael Patryn. What Happened to Jennifer Robertson and Where Is Gerald Cotten's Wife Now? The mystery of Cotten and Quadriga is now the subject of podcasts Exit Scam and A Death In Cryptoland. Jennifer Robertson (Quadriga) - Wikipedia Quadriga started by doing only local trades. A sneak preview of the Netflix doc contains images that suggest the documentary will show the investors dive deeper into these conspiracies. 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. Miller Thomson LLP sent a letter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Friday, requesting authorities conduct an exhumation and postmortem autopsy on the body of Gerald Cotten, founder of QuadrigaCX, citing what the firm called the questionable circumstances around his death earlier this year. In their letter to the RCMP the law firm underlined the need for certainty around the question of whether Mr Cotten is in fact deceased. Gerald died while on a honeymoon with his wife Je Customers have since struggled to regain access to their money, citing withdrawl issues and lack of communication from the company. And who dies from Crohns disease at 24 years old? Quadriga Fintech Solutions was the owner and operator of QuadrigaCX, which was believed to be Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange.In 2019 the exchange ceased operations and the company filed for bankruptcy with C$215.7 million in liabilities and about C$28 million in assets.. Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten | FAKE Behind 'Hunt For The Crypto King' Netflix | Where Are They Now?Subscribe Here! Shortly after, the exchange stopped working entirely. that after 2016, QuadrigaCX stopped producing consistent data about its holdings, and that large volumes of cryptocurrencies were being sent to foreign crypto exchanges. After beginning as an entrepreneur, Cotten founded Quadriga Fintech Solutions in 2013 and the company evolved to become the largest crypto exchange in the country, and it even helped to legitimize Bitcoin. Netflixs 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. Some people called for Geralds body to be exhumed. One of the Globe reporters had a hunch that this was Gerry Cotten, and traced the account to another online den of thieves, BlackHatWorld. Two years after Liberty Reserve was taken down, the pair launched Quadriga, though Mr Patryn left the company in 2016 over a dispute on whether to list the company publicly and claims no involvement in the resulting schemes. 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. When Taylor Monahan, founder of MyCrypto, examined the exchanges cold wallets, she couldnt find the lost crypto. Many believe that Cotten faked his death, however, as part of an exit scam to get away with stealing millions from Quadrigas customers. Where was the rest of the money? November 28, 2022 by Nurudeen. In other news, Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 4 to release Fall 2023, confirms new trailer, Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King | Official Trailer | Netflix, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vW2BPQ15OSw/hqdefault.jpg. Dhanani also had pleaded guilty to burglary and grand theft charges and had been deported to Canada. 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. Netflix Special on Bitcoin Fraudster Gerald Cotten, His Wife, and QuadrigaCX. Was Patryn, whom employees described as a macho, terrifying character, calling the shots, not Cotten? [31], Robertson filed an affidavit on behalf of the company which included a "Statement of Death" for Cotten, filed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 12 December 2018. A bitcoin mining operation in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec. 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. Either this is a 1 in 100 million coincidence or he is still alive. Front Burner- Inside Canada's Crypto Mystery, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King, "Investigation of Quadriga cryptocurrency debacle turns up only $28 million in assets", "Nothing sinister about bitcoin company CEO's sudden death, friend says", "Troubled Bitcoin trader QuadrigaCX takes another bizarre turn", "Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange Quadriga seeks creditor protection", "Bitcoin Accounts for 95% of Cryptocurrency Crime, Says Analyst", "Crypto-Exchange Says It Can't Pay Investors Because Its C.E.O. , 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 Is Gerald Cotten Now? - Vimbuzz.com Something was afoot. In 2019 the exchange ceased operations and the company filed for bankruptcy with C$215.7 million in liabilities and about C$28 million in assets. On the 9th, he allegedly died after episodes of cardiac arrest. seeks to unravel the mystery of Gerald Cotten, the CEO of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX, who died in 2018. Netflix's 'Trust No One': Who Was QuadrigaCX CEO Gerald Cotten? Like the end of a classic Ponzi, the OSC said that due to Cottens bad trades, QuadrigaCX couldnt afford to credit customers who withdrew funds. You get rid of a lot of the regulations, he said on a podcast in 2014. Evidence of him faking death: There's lots of bizaare things that are suspicious. But pour in it did. Cotten's sudden death in 2018 led to the disappearance of millions of dollars worth of his investors' Bitcoin funds. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? We explain how to spot them. Quadriga CX was left owning its 76,000 investors around $215million (CAD). 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. 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. [33] Aaron Matthews served as Director of Operations. You transferred them $1,000 and you could see the crypto in your account. 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. Finally, the OSC discovered something that cracked the case wide open. 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". 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. Even after Cotten's death news, some people still believe that he is alive, and one of the main reasons is because of his mysterious death. Gerald and Jennifer kept most of their relationship away from the public. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Cbc.ca. 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. Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk, Ring removes free perks for millions of users, you'll have pay to get them back, Android users told check for five Google 'danger phrases' don't ignore list, Facebook's hidden list reveals if you're a 'target' for criminals, People are just realizing Apple upgraded the iPhone with 7 life-changing secrets, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Tong Zou tells his devastating story in new Netflix doc, Gerald 'Gerry' Cotten died in 2018, taking password to access funds with him. They surfed his social media accounts at first, then traced Cottens digital footprints even more closely for clues. So, Patryn: shit-stirrer, criminal mastermind or another one beguiled by Cotten? 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. Despite repeated and diligent searches, I have not been able to find them written down anywhere, she said in court filings. Gerald Cleophas Betzen, 68. Where was the rest of the money? Rather than pay customers via bank wires, they were told to come to a nondescript building in Laval, Quebec to pick up the cash.