A Drug Dealer Who Almost Became the 7th Richest Person in Crypto 🧵:

Clifton Collins's Journey:
typical Irish guy 🇮🇪
worked as a beekeeper and security guard
Then, he launched massive marijuana cultivation operations
around 2011–2012, he came across Bitcoin when it was trading at just $4–6
buys approximately 6,000 BTC funded with drug money
back then, it was only around $30,000
divides the Bitcoin into 12 wallets of 500 BTC each
prints all the private keys on paper
hides the paper inside a fishing rod case at his rented house
2017:
the police stop him while driving and find marijuana
Clifton ends up in prison for five years
while serving his sentence:
the owner gets rid of the entire house
the fishing rod case ends up thrown away
The paper with the Bitcoin keys disappears irretrievably
6,000 BTC become inaccessible forever
Later, when Bitcoin prices soar:
one of the most epic "Lost Bitcoin" stories of all time
for years:
everyone believes the Bitcoin has been permanently lost
Irish authorities also fail to access those wallets
March 2026:
suddenly, one of the old wallets wakes up after nearly a decade
500 BTC (~$35 million) are set in motion
Irish authorities allegedly gain access to that wallet
the remaining 5,500 BTC remain untouched
"Without your keys, Bitcoin is not yours."