At just 22 years old, Jimmy Zhong unexpectedly found himself on the path to becoming a billionaire criminal. His journey began in 2012 when he devised a way to siphon off bitcoin from the Silk Road, a notorious dark web marketplace infamous for trading drugs, firearms, and explicit materials. Over the years, the bitcoins Zhong acquired escalated in value, astonishingly peaking at $3.36 billion.
Images of Zhong’s extravagant lifestyle – partying on yachts, posing before private jets, and attending high-profile football games – showcased the decade he successfully dodged law enforcement. He even purchased a weekend home designed for extravagant parties, complete with a Trump banner and a stripper pole. Yet, a single phone call dramatically changed Zhong’s fate.
In this compelling documentary, CNBC’s Eamon Javers delves into the billion-dollar heist’s investigation by the IRS-CI and interviews those who knew Zhong throughout his elusive years. Javers also uncovers the intricate digital trail leading back to bitcoin’s early days, revealing the unsettling truth about the hacker and coder culture that birthed the cryptocurrency.
Watch the Documentary:
- 00:00 — Introduction
- 01:18 — Panic Attack
- 10:28 — The Raid
- 20:09 — Original Gangster
Team Behind the Investigation:
- Eamon Javers, Correspondent
- Paige Tortorelli, Investigative Producer
- Scott Zamost, Senior Investigative Producer
- Bria Cousins, Senior Field Producer
- Ray Parisi, Senior Executive Producer
- Candice Goldman, Editor
- Michael Schwartz, Graphic Artist
- Photojournalists: Oscar Molina, Marco Mastrorilli, Alex Herrera, Gerard Miller, Leroy Jackson, David Grogan, Tara McCurrie, Alex Bedoya
- Audio Team: Juan Merlo, Everette Wong, Peter Redding, Francesco LoCascio
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