Gerald Cotten, the founder of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange QuadrigaCX, was exposed as a scam artist after his mysterious death in 2018.
Cotten’s fraudulent activities included a Ponzi scheme where he lost millions of dollars from customer funds through reckless gambling.
He had a history of dishonest behavior, starting with pyramid schemes at age 15, and later co-founded a money-laundering site before QuadrigaCX.
His lavish lifestyle was funded by mixing customer and personal funds, and after his death, it was revealed that he was the only one with access to the cold wallets containing $250 million in customer funds.
Cotten's death raised suspicions, with many theorizing he faked his death to escape with the funds.
Investigations revealed his history of fraud, ties to Ponzi schemes, and a lack of contingency planning for his death.
Despite efforts to recover the funds, only a small portion was recovered.
His wife, Jennifer Robertson, faced scrutiny for her delayed announcement of his death and large financial settlement, fueling further conspiracy theories.
The case has become a cautionary tale about the dangers of unregulated financial ventures.
#netflix documentary Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King explores the mystery surrounding Cotten’s death and the missing funds.
