Who is Paul Le Roux? Is Satoshi Nakamoto actually this person?
Paul Le Roux (born December 24, 1972) is a former programmer who became the head of a criminal cartel and later an informant for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
His story is complex and has been the subject of journalistic investigations. He is known for having founded a vast global criminal empire, engaging in illicit activities such as drug and arms trafficking.
Regarding Bitcoin, Le Roux has an indirect and speculative connection. It has been mentioned that he had an interest in encryption technology and has been unconfirmedly linked to the creation of Bitcoin and the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, due to his programming expertise and his disappearance from public life around the same time as Satoshi. However, there is no conclusive evidence to support this theory.
What is known is that, after his arrest and while cooperating with authorities, Le Roux expressed his intention to engage in a legal business of selling and hosting Bitcoin "miners" if he were released, suggesting an interest in the technology.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in June 2020 for his crimes.