We explain who Gerald Cotten is, the subject of this documentary, and reveal where he is now, including the mystery surrounding his downfall. Now Cottens jet-set lifestyle looked suspicious. 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. He would then use this crypto to make investments himself on other digital exchanges as he furnished his own pockets at the expense of his investors, according to accounting firm Ernst & Young. 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. thinks that Gerald is deadnor did he ever meet his wife. After some more digging, the reporter found an order form filled out by one Gerald Cotten. It was alleged that Patryn was involved in a money-laundering ring under a different nameOmar Dhanani. Then the Ontario Securities Commission opened an investigation. "I could have invested it in real estate. You transferred them $1,000 and you could see the crypto in your account. Netflix Special on Bitcoin Fraudster Gerald Cotten, His Wife, and QuadrigaCX. Either this is a 1 in 100 million coincidence or he is still alive. It essentially removes the need for a central authority. Gerald Cotten, who was born on May 11th, 1988, was raised in Belleville, Ontario, before relocating to Toronto to enroll at York University's Schulich School of Business. The business was run from Cotten's encrypted laptop from Cotten's home in Fall River, Nova Scotia. "It did become an obsession.. Here's a link to the BlackHat forum. The streaming service announced the feature alongside a slate of upcoming true-crime projects last week. 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. 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. Then it emerged that Jennifer had legally changed her name three times in the past few years, and a man sharing one of her former last names was at the center of an unsolved murder case. According to an investigation by Canada's Globe and Mail, Cotten. 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. [21], Throughout 2018, as Bitcoin prices crashed, customers of the exchange reported delays when attempting to withdraw dollars. By Robin Hill-Gray. The company raised C$850,000 but cancelled plans to list on the exchange in early 2016. 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. I ended up losing my life savings I lost $400,000, Tong Zou, a tech worker quoted in the film, says. And who dies from Crohns disease at 24 years old? [9][10], The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were reportedly investigating the company. Mr Cotten, 30 at the time of his death, seemed to be living the dream life of a financial titan. Quadriga's accounts are estimated to have held 190million ($250million). https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/hiring-a-programmer-website-like-bitstamp-bitcoin-trading-project.605236/. Gerald Cotten was the founder of one of Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Quadriga CX. On the 9th, he allegedly died after episodes of cardiac arrest. https://bit.ly/3cAIH4j Newest Vid's https:. Though some dont believe Mr Cotten is really gone, the money from 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. No longer a likable nerd, investors thought that Gerald, now sceptre, had been operating scams since he was 15. 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. 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. They surfed his social media accounts at first, then traced Cottens digital footprints even more closely for clues. 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. [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. Reported by Fansided, Globe and Mail journalist Nathan Vanderklippe spoke to Dr. Sharma, who dealt with Cotten when he came into the hospital. We pay for your stories! 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. 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. Indeed, QuadrigaCX launched just three months after sceptre put out a call to build a crypto exchange. that after 2016, QuadrigaCX stopped producing consistent data about its holdings, and that large volumes of cryptocurrencies were being sent to foreign crypto exchanges. An official investigation concluded that Quadriga was"an old-fashioned fraud wrapped in modern technology". His wife Jennifer Robertson said he had promised to create a mechanism that turned thepasswords over to her when he died. The thing about conspiracy theories, though, is that they mutate out of control very quickly, and arent always reflective of the latest evidence. "What Quadriga really did with the money that customers gave it to buy Bitcoin remains a mystery," according to Chainalysis. I didnt know that Gerry was married, he says. 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,. Still, questions about the missing money only mounted when two. Neither Costodian or Quadriga could access the funds. At this point, lots of investors think that Cotten, a man alleged to have a history of scamming, really had faked his own death. The laptop computer from which Gerry carried out the companies business is encrypted and I do not know the password or recovery key. So his spiral down into a life of crime was either pure greed or him seeking the thrill. [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. started to be convinced that he was dead, after all. He graduated from York in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Something was afoot. 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. NOW WATCH: Netflix is headed for a huge profit milestone in 2018, Personal Finance Insider's picks for best cryptocurrency exchanges. It sucks.". The Crypto King, aka Gerald "Gerry" Cotten, died in 2018, but his mysterious death is still a subject of controversy today. I put myself into a deep hole and the only way to dig out of it was to sell my house.. 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,. I'm new to this subreddit, I apologise if anything I have said breaks the rules. Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness (Holt). Cotten told a Globe and Mail reporter that the banks, which didnt trust crypto exchanges, had frozen the exchanges bank accounts. March 30, 2022. Netflix's 'Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King' explores the story of Gerald Cotten, founder and CEO of Canadian crypto exchange business QuadrigaCX, whose passed away unexpectedly in 2018. The Netflix documentary will follow investors-turned-investigators looking into theories on the founder's sudden death. A computer issue wiped $14 million of Ethereum off the exchange. 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. Shortly after, the exchange stopped working entirely. His clients were locked out of about $250 million, and investigators later. There were other problems around that time. While Robertson has possession of the laptop containing the necessary passwords, she remains locked out. Thinking that Jennifer had murdered Cotten, the Telegram group spiraled out of control. His death left investors locked out of their money and left Jennifer Robertson, Gerry's wife . 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". 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. Was the CEOknown for his luxurious lifestyle, which included jets, supercars and vacationsmurdered by a mob debt collector or a jealous lover? Robertsons sister, for the record, doesnt think that Cotten had fabricated his relationship with Jennifer. Everyone knows the story about the now-defunct QuadrigaCX . November 28, 2022 by Nurudeen. [6], Ernst & Young was appointed as an independent monitor while Quadriga was granted temporary legal protection from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. Cottens death will likely remain a mystery, with some believing that he is still residing somewhere in the world with the stolen money. Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 4 to release Fall 2023, confirms new trailer, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. At this point, lots of investors think that Cotten, a man alleged to have a history of scamming, really had faked his own death. X-rays. 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. Still, questions about the missing money only mounted when two Globe and Mail reporters followed up on the case. [48], On 5 February 2019, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Robertson has not been accused of any wrongdoing - and has denied any knowledge of her husband's business dealings. Zou resorted to the cryptocurrency scheme to avoid bank charges when moving Vancouver, shifting his money from the US to a Canadian account. Its pretty much money by people for people.. Cotten was young, energetic, passionate about cryptocurrency so when. Gerald Cotten died suddenly of Crohn's disease - or did he? 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. Supposedly, Cottens business associates didnt even know he was married. Gerald Cotten Still Alive ? He passed away in 2018 with the secret of $250 million. Was a recently-active Skype account proof he was still alive? (Neither men were charged in connection with Liberty Reserve). lets break it all down. 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? "You appear dead for a few days, until you get the cure," the source said. I really prayed it wasn't a scam. Fifteen years later, Mr Cotten, known as Gerry, would be accused of swindling people online of a much bigger prize. Some 76,000 investors like Zou collectively lost out. 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. name was not the same as Robertsons ex-husband, some angry investors lobbed death threats at Jennifer, convinced that she had murdered Cotten, too. CRYPTO scams are popping up all over the internet. Some also believe that Gerald isnt even dead at all but rather hiding away with the hundreds of millions of dollars he controlled. At the time, he was the CEO of QuadrigaCX, a company that performed cryptocurrency exchanges. 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. Wood ordered a "30-day stay that precludes filing of claims against Quadriga", which is a temporary legal protection from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, a legal status that allows insolvent corporations to restructure their business and financial affairs. 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. I believe this is the reason why Quadriga could be formed because they made a fortune from Scamming before Quadriga. [33], Cotten's will was signed 27 November 2018, twelve days before he allegedly died. The circumstances sparked speculation from some in the crypto community that the CEO faked his death and stole his clients' money. Then, out of the blue, one Mike Patryn joined the Telegram group that investors were using to discuss conspiracies. 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. 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. firms", "What happens when your bitcoin banker dies? 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. 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 Cotten is a bitcoin millionaire from Canada whose death, supposedly from complications relating to Crohn's disease, is now being questioned. The teen, a bright computer enthusiast from Belleville, Ontario, ran the operation on an online forum called TalkGold . 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. [30], According to Jennifer Robertson, Cotten's widow, he died on 9 December 2018 while travelling in India. 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. Did he Die? I'm 99% sure he is still alive living nicely. Gerald Cotten is allegedly meant to have died from Crohn's disease after the exchange crashed. Quadriga had four employees in 2015 with offices in Vancouver and Toronto, but ran out of money by June 2015. He graduated from York with a bachelor of business administration in 2010. Resides in Beverly Hills, CA. It comes as we revealed some of the world's biggest crypto scams following the case of Bitcoin tradersRaees Cajee, 21 and Ameer, 18,who fledSouth Africa after allegedly pocketing 2.5billion. The two first met in November 2014 and had been together for some time before tying the knot in October 2018. Both Canadas tax authorities and the FBI are also investigating the company. [33] Aaron Matthews served as Director of Operations. But the money, of course, was still missing. A bitcoin mining operation in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec. Then, as their accounts accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars, Gerald passed unexpectedly, taking the passwords to the accounts to his grave. "At that point, we were desperate to recover funds and we were also convinced that a scam was underway," said QCX-INT, an individual who uncovered online documentation of Mr Cottens history of fraudulent behaviour, speaking anonymously to the CBC this year. 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. (His wife says he is in fact dead and witnessed his funeral). #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/ He was 30-years-old at the time of his death. Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). Was Patryn, whom employees described as a macho, terrifying character, calling the shots, not Cotten? He was able to keep the venture, called S&S Investments, going for three months, before it folded and investors money was gone. Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). He convinced tons of investors to fork over their money so he could invest it into Crypto. The death, and the resulting collapse of Quadriga, set off a score of government and citizen investigations into how so much digital currency could be spirited away. 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. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. 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. Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash. We just send money from our Bitcoin app directly to those paper wallets, and keep it safe that way. Then you get rid of the fees. 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. It left Robertson the entire C$9.6-million estate and named her as the trustee. Uncertainty about the missing funds has fueled speculation that Cotten may still be alive. But when co-founder Cotten died during a honeymoon in India, the money was seemingly lost forever. Have something to tell us about this article? Still, all this evidence was circumstantialinvestors hadnt yet found a smoking gun. Despite no concrete evidenceindeed, the murdered mans. as well as other partner offers and accept our. "I couldn't get any sleep. When Quadriga CEO Gerald Cotten died suddenly in 2018, the passcodes for his cryptocurrency exchange died with him. Now . The new documentary "Dead Man's Switch" looks at the mystery of Gerald Cotten, the QuadrigaCX CEO who unexpectedly died and some $250 in investors' money seemingly disappeared with him.