The investors found more questions than answers. Still, questions about the missing money only mounted when two Globe and Mail reporters followed up on the case. Image Source: Social Media. 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. Is Gerald Cotten really dead? Cotten told a Globe and Mail reporter that the banks, which didnt trust crypto exchanges, had frozen the exchanges bank accounts. 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. Was Patryn, whom employees described as a macho, terrifying character, calling the shots, not Cotten? [1], The company's CEO and founder, Gerald William Cotten, allegedly died in 2018 after traveling to India. This was my entire savings, built through ten years of work, said one disgruntled customer in the doc. Jilted investors in a defunct cryptocurrency company want to confirm the death of the business's founder by exhuming his remains. 'Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King' will be released sometime in 2022. 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. ", QuadrigaCX founder used aliases, moved assets into personal accounts: report, "Quadriga Crypto Mystery Deepens With 'Cold Wallets' Found Empty", "After founder's sudden death, cryptocurrency exchange can't access $190 million in holdings", "Crypto Mystery: Quadriga's Wallets Are Empty, Putting Fate Of $137 Million in Doubt", "Unable to Retrieve Money, Cryptocurrency Investors Want Dead Executive Exhumed", Crypto exchange Quadriga was a fraud and founder was running Ponzi scheme, OSC report finds, QuadrigaCX: A Review by Staff of the Ontario Securities Commission, Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing crypto millions, "Quadriga Accidentally Moved More Bitcoin to an Inaccessible Wallet", "Quadriga Founder's Widow Seeks Repayment of Her Costs", "Quadriga Lawyer Withdraws Amid Conflict of Interest Concerns", "Hot Docs Shane Smith: Weve crossed the digital divide", "Exit Scam: A Podcast Series about the Death and Afterlife of Gerald Cotten", "More than $400,000 in QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency disappears into 'cold wallet', "Before Quadriga: How shady ventures in Gerald Cotten's youth led to the creation of his ill-fated cryptocurrency exchange", "Widow of Quadriga crypto founder Gerald Cotten says she had no idea about the $215-million scam", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quadriga_Fintech_Solutions&oldid=1141935834, Financial services companies established in 2013, Companies that have filed for bankruptcy in Canada, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 17:09. 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. Here Is Why People Think Gerald Cotten Is Still Alive: The Death When Taylor Monahan, founder of MyCrypto, examined the exchanges cold wallets, she couldnt find the lost crypto. I didnt know that Gerry was married, he says. Either the funds were never received or quickly went missing. [45], In June 2020, the Ontario Securities Commission officially concluded that Quadriga was indeed a fraud and a Ponzi scheme. 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. 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. Rather than pay customers via bank wires, they were told to come to a nondescript building in Laval, Quebec to pick up the cash. For instance, had Cottens death certificate, which spelled his name as Cottan, been faked? 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". Despite no concrete evidenceindeed, the murdered mans first name was not the same as Robertsons ex-husband, some angry investors lobbed death threats at Jennifer, convinced that she had murdered Cotten, too. Widow of Quadriga crypto founder Gerald Cotten says she had no idea 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. [2], In January 2019 Ernst & Young reported that Quadriga did not have a bank account, but instead used third-party payment processors. Quadriga's accounts are estimated to have held 190million ($250million). Gerald Cotten is still alive (proof) I remember exactly 2 and a half weeks ago, someone on this subreddit that was jokingly talking about gerald said "Watch Quadriga say that they can't access cold wallets because Gerald died and he was the only one with access to the keys". 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. Here's a link to the BlackHat forum. There were other problems around that time. 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. ^ "Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing crypto millions". Up to C$250 million (US$190 million) in cryptocurrency owed to 115,000 customers was missing[2] or could not be accessed because only Cotten held the password to off-line cold wallets. Gerald Betzen (4 matches): Phone Number, Email, Address - Spokeo After some more digging, the reporter found an order form filled out by one Gerald Cotten. [16] In 2014 only C$7.4 million worth of bitcoin were exchanged on Quadriga. In that case, $851 million entrusted to Crypto Capital had been "lost, stolen or absconded with", according to the suit. [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. So his spiral down into a life of crime was either pure greed or him seeking the thrill. What Happened to Jennifer Robertson and Where Is Gerald Cotten's Wife Now? Mystery of crypto CEO who died, taking $250 million with him Some people called for Geralds body to be exhumed. Cotten's sudden death in 2018 led to the disappearance of millions of dollars worth of his investors' Bitcoin funds. It's clear to me that Cotten gave himself millions of dollars worth of crypto as the owner to trade people fake crypto and give himself millions of dollars. Fourteen trading accounts that were also examined were used to trade on other exchanges. His will was signed off just two weeks before he and wife Jennifer Robertson travelled to India on their honeymoon. name was not the same as Robertsons ex-husband, some angry investors lobbed death threats at Jennifer, convinced that she had murdered Cotten, too. [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. Gerald Cleophas Betzen, 68. Something was afoot. 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. #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/ 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. Netflixs documentary definitely seems to be in the corner that Cotten did die, despite the mystery surrounding his death. Gerald Cotten is allegedly meant to have died from Crohn's disease after the exchange crashed. "[40][41], Ernst & Young found five Quadriga cold wallet addresses, but they were empty, containing no cryptocurrency since April 2018. Likewise, the public was not much intrigued about their lives up until . When Canadian blockchain whiz Gerald Cotten died unexpectedly last year, hundreds of millions of dollars in investor funds vanished into the crypto ether. Jilted investors of Cotton's crypto firm QuadrigaCX have demanded his corpse be exhumed and tests run to confirm its his body. 29 2022, Published 3:03 p.m. Cotton's sudden death from complications of Crohn's disease aged 30 shocked the crypto world - but many believe he may have faked his death in an elaborate "exit scam". But Bitcoin crashed at the end of 2018, and Cottens flashy lifestyle needed cash to sustain itself. 'Bitcoin widow' reveals how she fell victim to her own husband's $215m Investigations into the firm revealed that Mr Cotten made numerous fake accounts on Quadriga to influence trades on the platform, at one time being involved personally in 87 per cent of transactions. 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. Image Credit: CTV Your Morning/YouTube. I just prayed. Gerald Cotten was the founder of one of Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Quadriga CX. 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. 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. Then the Ontario Securities Commission opened an investigation. The only catch: only Gerry knew the passwords to the companys crypto-vaults. Stay up to date with what you want to know. But even the forensic accountants only managed to trace $46 million of the total $215 million customers had deposited onto the exchange. Was he avoiding something or someone? Lawyers representing investors in what BBC. Companies have backups, safeguards to protect against this kind of thing. 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. 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. Gerald died while on a honeymoon with his wife Je Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, Alex Murdaugh looks unrecognizable in new mugshot hours after sentencing, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP. Was a recently-active Skype account proof he was still alive? 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 teen, a bright computer enthusiast from Belleville, Ontario, ran the operation on an online forum called TalkGold . I could have put it in stocks. Obituary -Gerald Cotten Wife, Death Cause, Alive or Death? Wikipedia 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. Quadriga Fintech Solutions - Wikipedia Mr Cottens story is now the subject of the documentary Dead Mans Switch: A Crypto Mystery, which streams on Discovery+, and in the new memoir of wife Jennifer Robertson, Bitcoin Widow: Love, Betrayal and the Missing Millions. [48], On 5 February 2019, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Michael J. 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. [33] Aaron Matthews served as Director of Operations. Furious investors continue to fight a legal battle to try and have Cotten's body exhumed as they believe his death was a cut and run scam. Gerald Cotten (born 11 May 1988)[14] lived in Belleville, Ontario before attending the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. Things began to sour, however, in 2018, when the price of Bitcoin collapsed. [15] He learned about Bitcoin in Toronto and travelled to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he founded Quadriga in November 2013 with Michael Patryn. Ernst & Young was able to recover $24m in cash and $9m in assets held by Robertson. Gerald Cotten is a bitcoin millionaire from Canada whose death, supposedly from complications relating to Crohn's disease, is now being questioned. While the large increase in volume increased commissions, it also caused cash-flow problems due to the exchange's reliance on external payment processors and its lack of a proper accounting system. Citing decomposition concerns, lawyers requested the exhumation be completed no later than spring 2020. [17] In June 2017, Quadriga announced that they had lost ethereum worth US$14 million due to a smart contract error. Quadriga CX was left owning its 76,000 investors around $215million (CAD). 4 people named Gerald Betzen found in California, Texas and Massachusetts. 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. And, wildly, was Jennifer, his wife, even real? So the. 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. Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing - CBC seeks to unravel the mystery of Gerald Cotten, the CEO of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX, who died in 2018. Gerald Cotten is allegedly meant to have died from Crohns disease after the exchange crashed. Where is Gerald Cotten's Wife Jen Robertson Now? - The Cinemaholic Netflix Special on Bitcoin Fraudster Gerald Cotten, His Wife, and QuadrigaCX. You get rid of a lot of the regulations, he said on a podcast in 2014. 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. Zou trusted Quadriga CX, Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with C$500,000 (305,000). 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. "What Quadriga really did with the money that customers gave it to buy Bitcoin remains a mystery," according to Chainalysis. 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? Thats when the. Another "appears to have been used to receive Bitcoin from another cryptocurrency exchange account and subsequently transfer Bitcoin to the Quadriga hot wallet" on 3 December. 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. We pay for your stories! Gerald Cotten died suddenly of Crohn's disease - or did he? Bitcoin fraudster's widow breaks silence about the missing crypto [11] Lawyers for the customers of the exchange have asked that Cotten's body be exhumed.[12]. He would grow up to be a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and run Canadas largest crypto exchange, QuadrigaCX, before dying under bizarre circumstances in 2018, leaving investors looking for a missing $180 million Canadian dollars. My sisters not a liar.. ", 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.". 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. Gerald Cotten: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com 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. 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. There was no autopsy on the body, for instance, and Cotten had signed his will two weeks after he diedleaving his riches to Jennifer. And meanwhile, Dead Man's Switch director Sheona McDonald said: "There's only two people who really know what happened in India.". 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.