💸 Matthew Mellon – $500 Million in XRP Lost Forever
Matthew Mellon, an American banking heir, invested early in Ripple (XRP) and turned a few million dollars into a fortune of over $500 million.
But here’s the twist:
Mellon stored his XRP in cold wallets under fake names — and never told anyone how to access them.
In 2018, he unexpectedly died at age 54 while in rehab. Because he didn’t share his private keys or wallet locations with family or advisors, the entire fortune became inaccessible forever.
“He kept everything secret,” a close associate said.
“Even his closest friends didn’t know how to get to it.”
This case is one of the largest crypto inheritance losses in history — a warning that even riches mean little if no one can recover them.
