DeepSummary
The episode revolves around the story of Ruja Ignatova, the founder of the cryptocurrency Onecoin, which turned out to be a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of billions of dollars worldwide. Ignatova, also known as the "Cryptoqueen," disappeared in 2017 while being investigated, leaving behind a trail of victims who lost their investments.
The BBC journalists, Rob Byrne and Storm Theunissen, have been investigating Ignatova's disappearance and her alleged connections to the Bulgarian underworld figure, Konstantin Konstantinov, nicknamed "Taki," who is suspected of being the "King of Cocaine" in Bulgaria. There are allegations that Taki may have been involved in Ignatova's disappearance or even her possible murder.
Despite various theories and alleged sightings, Ignatova's whereabouts remain unknown, and the episode explores the complexities of the case, the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies, and the lingering questions about what truly happened to the missing Cryptoqueen.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Ruja Ignatova founded the cryptocurrency Onecoin, which turned out to be a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors worldwide.
- Ignatova disappeared in 2017 while being investigated, leaving behind a trail of victims who lost their investments.
- The episode explores Ignatova's alleged connections to the Bulgarian underworld figure, Konstantin Konstantinov, nicknamed "Taki," who is suspected of being the "King of Cocaine" in Bulgaria.
- There are allegations that Taki may have been involved in Ignatova's disappearance or even her possible murder.
- Despite various theories and alleged sightings, Ignatova's whereabouts remain unknown, and the episode delves into the complexities of the case.
- The investigation into Ignatova's disappearance highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in tracking down high-profile fugitives.
- The episode raises questions about the role of corruption and organized crime in facilitating Ignatova's activities and subsequent disappearance.
- The story serves as a cautionary tale about the risks associated with investing in unregulated and potentially fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “She went from self styled queen of cryptocurrency to one of the most wanted women on the planet, as we've alleged.“ by Rob Byrne
- “Ignatova founded and ran one of the largest ponzi schemes in history, peddling a fake cryptocurrency called onecoin and raking in billions of dollars.“ by Rob Byrne
- “Doctor Ruja, as she became known, scammed investors all over the world and then she vanished.“ by Katya Adler
- “Law enforcement agencies could come and find me, but I couldn't tell them where she was because I don't know where she is.“ by Rob Byrne
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Episode Information
The Global Story
BBC World Service
6/27/24
Is she dead or alive? Ruja Ignatova launched a fake cryptocurrency that conned investors out of more than $4 billion. Then, with the police on her trail, she vanished. A years-long investigation has led BBC journalists down a rabbit hole of scams, spies and organised crime – including the new allegation that Ignatova may have been murdered by the suspected king of the Bulgarian underworld. But what is fact and what is rumour?
Katya Adler is joined by Rob Byrne from the BBC podcast “The Missing Cryptoqueen”, and Storm Storm Theunissen from BBC Eye Investigations, who directed the Panorama film “The Missing Cryptoqueen: Dead or Alive?”
TGS is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, you may well like some of our other pods, too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.
This episode was made by Peter Goffin. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.