The “Cryptoqueen” vanished more than five years ago with more than $4 billion, and at least one report said she was murdered roughly a year later.
A new police document, published by Bulgarian investigative outlet BIRD, or the Bureau for Investigative Reporting and Data, suggests that Ruja Ignatova, who disappeared in 2017 after scamming investors with a fake cryptocurrency, was killed in a hit ordered by a Bulgarian crime boss.
But Atanas Tchobanov, a journalist at BIRD who worked with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to publish the Pandora Papers, told Fortune that scenario was just “a hypothesis.” BIRD first caught wind of the rumored murder while reporting on a police officer shot dead in March 2022.
“It’s not conclusive,” added Tchobanov, who was once a member of the board of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
The document in question was found in a safe in the police officer’s apartment. There was a one-page report that detailed how the brother-in-law of Bulgarian crime boss Christophoros Amanatidis, a.k.a. Taki, drunkenly told an anonymous informant during a yacht trip in Cuba that Taki had ordered a successful hit on Ignatova. According to this account, Ignatova was killed on another yacht in the Ionian Sea in November 2018, and her body was carved up and tossed overboard.
This account is heavy on hearsay and so should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, it is one of the few public leads to detail the whereabouts of Ignatova, who landed on the FBI’s most wanted list after absconding with billions.
Moreover, Tchobanov said, a source who was in contact with Ignatova’s brother disputed the document published by BIRD. That source said Ignatova contacted her brother in early 2019, months after her rumored killing.
In January, she was reported to be selling a four-bedroom penthouse in London for approximately $13 million. Instead, prosecutors in Germany were organizing the sale, after having seized the property.
The Cryptoqueen rose to prominence in 2014, when Ignatova, a German-Bulgarian businesswoman, suddenly announced that she had created a rival to Bitcoin called OneCoin.
“OneCoin is easy to use. OneCoin is for everyone,” she said to a packed stadium in England in 2016. “Make payments everywhere, everyone, globally.”
Using multi-level marketing tactics, she convinced crypto newbies to invest billions in her project, which turned out to be a pyramid scheme. Her new token didn’t even run on a blockchain.
In 2017, after reportedly undergoing multiple plastic surgeries, she boarded a plane from Bulgaria to Greece and was never seen again. Today she would be 42.
Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. Sign up here.
I'm an enthusiast with a deep understanding of the crypto space and a penchant for investigating complex financial crimes. My expertise stems from extensive research, following developments in the cryptocurrency world, and staying informed about high-profile cases involving fraudulent activities. I have a proven track record of delving into intricate details, understanding the nuances of blockchain technology, and unraveling the mysteries surrounding notable figures in the crypto sphere.
Now, let's dive into the article about the mysterious disappearance of the "Cryptoqueen," Ruja Ignatova, and the recent revelation of a police document by the Bulgarian investigative outlet BIRD.
Ruja Ignatova and the OneCoin Scam: Ruja Ignatova, a German-Bulgarian businesswoman, gained prominence in 2014 when she claimed to have created a rival to Bitcoin named OneCoin. She employed aggressive multi-level marketing tactics to lure unsuspecting investors, convincing them to pour billions into her project. However, it later emerged that OneCoin was a pyramid scheme, and the promised cryptocurrency didn't even operate on a blockchain.
Disappearance and Alleged Murder: In 2017, after reportedly undergoing multiple plastic surgeries, Ruja Ignatova vanished. The article suggests that she scammed investors with a fake cryptocurrency and absconded with over $4 billion. Now, a new police document published by BIRD presents a chilling scenario: Ignatova was allegedly murdered in a hit ordered by a Bulgarian crime boss named Christophoros Amanatidis, also known as Taki.
Police Document and its Credibility: The document, discovered in a safe in a police officer's apartment, details a conversation during a yacht trip in Cuba. The brother-in-law of the crime boss, Taki, reportedly confessed to an anonymous informant that Taki ordered a successful hit on Ignatova. The account mentions that Ignatova was killed on a yacht in the Ionian Sea in November 2018, and her body was dismembered and disposed of at sea.
However, the journalist Atanas Tchobanov from BIRD emphasizes that this information is not conclusive and should be treated as a hypothesis. The document relies heavily on hearsay, and caution is advised in accepting its credibility. Tchobanov, who previously worked with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, highlights the speculative nature of the scenario.
Contradicting Accounts and Ongoing Mystery: A source allegedly in contact with Ignatova's brother disputes the information published by BIRD. This source claims that Ignatova contacted her brother in early 2019, months after the rumored killing. Moreover, in January, reports surfaced that Ignatova was selling a four-bedroom penthouse in London for $13 million, although German prosecutors had seized the property.
Conclusion: The case of Ruja Ignatova, the Cryptoqueen, remains shrouded in mystery. The recently revealed police document adds a new layer to the narrative, suggesting a sinister end to Ignatova's story. However, conflicting accounts and the speculative nature of the information underscore the complexity of unraveling the truth behind the disappearance of this notorious figure in the crypto world. The investigation continues, and the crypto community awaits further developments in this intriguing saga.
