Craig Wright, Australian computer scientist and entrepreneur, has just won a lawsuit granting him 1.1 million Bitcoins, potentially 54 billion dollars. The man has claimed since 2016 to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. However, he renounces to provide the evidence which confirms it.
A civil lawsuit on American soil was thus initiated by the heirs of a former associate of Craig Wright, David Kleiman, who died in 2013, to recover part of these 1.1 million bitcoin.
The prosecution, made up of his heirs, considered that David Kleiman, as co-creator of bitcoin with Craig Wright, was entitled to half of the fortune represented by these 1.1 million bitcoin.
DOUBTS ABOUT SATOSHI NAKAMOTO’S IDENTITY
The problem ? The vagueness remains great on the process and the identity of the person or persons at the origin of this revolutionary monetary system. The creator of Bitcoin used a nickname: Satoshi Nakamoto. Today, his identity is still unknown and it is not known whether Nakamoto was a pseudonym behind which one or more people were hiding. Nevertheless, what is certain is that he created his project in 2008. He worked on it until 2011 before disappearing, retiring with the first 1.1 million Bitcoins created in history.
Although Nakamoto’s identity is still not known, the research carried out during this trial, which was necessary to reach a verdict, still went in the direction – and it is a revolution in this still very recent universe. – claims by Craig Wright stating that “Wright and Kleiman did indeed create bitcoin together.”
CRAIG WRIGHT AGAINST KLEIMAN’S SUCCESSORS
Following this statement, the Australian businessman estimated that he was entitled to half of the 1.1 million Bitcoin wallet in the possession of Kleiman’s heirs. In order to address the issue of succession, several experts have stated that “only a person involved in Bitcoin from the beginning can have access to the wallet.”
But the judge went even further. Unable to prove their involvement in the development of the technology, nor to prove the existence of a partnership with Kleiman, the heirs were thus stripped of the entire portfolio, in favor of Craig Wright.
However, Wright was still ordered to pay $ 100 million in compensatory damages to W&K Info Defense Research LLC. All other charges are dropped.
By the time Craig Wright takes over the wallet worth $ 54 billion, or 48 billion euros, he will become one of the 30 richest people in the world, according to the Forbes ranking. Before the verdict, he had promised to donate a good part of this fortune to charities.
