The shocking net worth of the elusive founder of Bitcoin has been revealed.
Just because you invent something doesn't mean you'll become rich, but when it comes to inventing Bitcoin, the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto could easily be sitting on Forbes' list of the richest people in the world.
The rise of Bitcoin is unprecedented, and in the cryptocurrency boom, it's come out on top to become an estimated two trillion-dollar industry. Bitcoin is so successful, it's even an official currency in El Salvador. While you might imagine its creator is living it up on Easy Street like other tech messiahs like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, Nakamoto has become the stuff of legend.
To this day, no one knows if he's enjoying his massive fortune. The reason why is because no one really knows who Satoshi Nakamoto really is.
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It turns out that Satoshi Nakamoto is a pseudonym used by the creator/creators of Bitcoin, with the name being involved in its implementation up until at least 2010. Also, despite the Japanese connotations with his surname, many have linked Nakamoto to cryptography experts in the United States or Europe.
A P2P Foundation profile said that Nakamoto was a Japanese man born on April 5, 1975, but many think this date is linked to the Executive Order 6102 which prohibited gold coins in the USA.
Various names have been thrown into the mix for Nakamoto, including pre-bitcoin cryptographic pioneer Hal Finney, physicist Dorian Nakamoto, and allegations of a hoax from Australian academic Craig Steven Wright. In March 2024, London's High Court ruled that Wright didn't invent Bitcoin.
A HBO documentary called Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery tried to locate Nakamoto, but in 2024, it took another setback when British man called Stephen Mollah came forward to claim he's the inventor of Bitcoin. With Mollah charging people to come to his 'unveiling,' and asking press for £500 for an interview, it seems like another elaborate hoax.
The interest in Nakamoto comes from his presumed fortune and what it would be worth nowadays.
Although accounts vary, it's thought that Nakamoto owns 968,452 BTC. In today's money, that would be worth a whopping $71,502,128,254.
The fact the real Nakamoto is worth nearly $72 billion might be a reason to go into hiding, and even if there are several people behind the moniker of Nakamoto, they'd still be worth a not-so-small fortune.
In the words of The Bitcoin Mystery creator Cullen Hoback: "They’re on track to becoming the richest person on earth eventually."
Of course, the instability of Bitcoin means there are concerns that even if Nakamoto was discovered, his net worth would be far lower than the proposed $72 billion.
Still, if he is real and if he is worth anywhere near his reported worth, Satoshi Nakamoto can definitely afford to buy the next rounds of drinks.