Newsweek recently spent a considerable amount of time trying to track down the man they believe may be behind the cryptocurrency phenomenon that is Bitcoin. They think they’ve found their man. His name is Satoshi Nakamoto.
A name that was long thought to be a pseudonym for the person that created Bitcoin may in fact be his real name according to the report. The Nakamoto in question is a 64-year old man living in a modest home in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel foothills who enjoys collecting model trains.
Much like Nakamoto’s online persona, his personal life is largely shrouded in secrecy. His family describe him as being extremely intelligent, moody and obsessively private. He screens his phone calls and anonymizes his e-mails. He even changed his name at the age of 23 to Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto and signs his name as Dorian S. Nakamoto.
When approached by a Newsweek reporter at his home, Nakamoto immediately called the police. It was in their presence that he tacitly acknowledged his role in the Bitcoin project.
"I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it," he said. "It's been turned over to other people. They are in charge of it now. I no longer have any connection." After that, he made it clear that the interview was over.
The piece is part of Newsweek’s return to print and to say they have a big scoop would be an understatement. But many are already criticizing the publication for putting the spotlight on a man that clearly wishes to maintain his privacy.
What do you think? Is this the real Satoshi Nakamoto that created Bitcoin?
