Crypto moguls face reckoning after alleged kidnapping and torture: The cost of doing business
The entire cryptocurrency community is on edge following the alleged kidnapping and torture of seemingly obscure Italian meme coin millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan in a Soho apartment.While the horrific crime, for which crypto bros John Woeltz and William Duplessie have been arrested, is obviously very close to home, it’s part of a rash of kidnappings in recent months.France, in particular, has been targeted.In Paris at the beginning of May, the 60-year-old father of a cryptocurrency millionaire was held hostage with his finger severed until his son paid a €5 million ransom.Later this month, four armed men in the City of Light attempted to kidnap the daughter of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat.Luckily, a plucky shop owner managed to thwart the attackers with a fire extinguisher.
Earlier this week, 24 people were taken into custody in connection with the attempted kidnapping.And in January in Vierzon in Central France, the co-founder of Ledger, David Balland, and his wife were abducted and held for ransom, part of which was paid by his co-founder.Law enforcement were able to rescue the couple but not before Balland had a finger cut off; ten people have been arrested.
What has surprised me the most over the last week as the New York story unfolds is how many people in crypto have — at least until now — posted so openly about their wealth and flaunted their belongings, while, at the same time, eschewing security measures.Notable security experts I spoke with told me that as of last week, those with crypto money haven’t prioritized protection.“One of the key issues — crypto millionaires (and billionaires) are nouveau riche and got rich quickly through crypto,” Mac Segal, whose AHNA Group provides security for wealthy individuals and corporations, told me.
“They’re posting their homes, their helicopters, and their sneakers on Instagram — they are not cautious about their online footprint.”Sources in the cryptocurrency world told me th...