Paul Le Roux Definition
Paul Le Roux, born on December 24, 1972, in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), is a former programmer, criminal mastermind, and drug lord. He is most notably known for his involvement in a variety of cybercrime activities as well as the development of the E4M (Encryption for the Masses) and TrueCrypt, free and open-source disk encryption software applications.
Paul Le Roux Key Points
- Paul Le Roux is a programmer, criminal mastermind, and drug lord originally from Rhodesia.
- He developed two open-source disk encryption software applications: E4M and TrueCrypt.
- His cybercrime activities span from fraud to drug trafficking and selling arms.
- Currently serving a 25-year sentence in an American prison for conspiracy to commit murder.
Who is Paul Le Roux?
Born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, Paul Le Roux eventually moved to South Africa with his mother and spent the majority of his beginnings there. Before his criminal activities, Le Roux was a brilliant programmer, having developed E4M, a Windows disk encryption software, and believed to have contributed to the development of TrueCrypt, another disk encryption tool. However, Le Roux used his programming skills for illegitimate purposes that lead to his notoriety as a cybercriminal.
What did Paul Le Roux do?
Besides his contribution to cyber security by developing encryption software, Le Roux embarked on several illegal activities exploiting his knowledge in the cyber space. He created a prescription drug trafficking business online using his programming skills to create an elaborate infrastructure. This business later expanded to the trafficking of arms and drugs on a global scale. He also orchestrated a series of extrajudicial killings, which later led to his arrest.
Where is Paul Le Roux now?
Le Roux was captured by the United States Federal Bureau of investigation in September 2012, in a sting operation in Liberia while attempting to smuggle methamphetamine. Currently, Le Roux is serving a 25-year sentence in a US federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple serious crimes including conspiracy to commit murder.
When and why did Paul Le Roux turn to crime?
It is not clear exactly when Le Roux turned to cybercrime, but it can be traced back to around 2004, where he began his illegal online prescription drug trafficking business. His descent into crime is believed to be fueled by financial motives. His global criminal enterprise operated in numerous countries, making him one of the most notorious criminals in history.
How is Paul Le Roux related to cryptocurrency and blockchain?
There is ongoing speculation that Paul Le Roux could be the real Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous person or group of persons who developed Bitcoin, the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency. The primary reasons behind this belief are his extensive knowledge in cryptography demonstrated in his development of encryption software, and his criminal activities aligning with the creation period of Bitcoin. However, there is currently no hard evidence to support these theories.
