While there is no conclusive evidence of the death of OneCoin pyramid scheme founder Ruja Ignatova, it is highly likely she is deceased. This was stated by former IRS investigator Richard Reinhardt in an interview with the BBC.
In February 2023, the BIRD project, citing Bulgarian police documents, reported that the entrepreneur was killed in 2018 on a yacht in the Ionian Sea.
Bulgarian investigative journalist Dimitar Stoyanov and his colleagues from BIRD gained access to informant reports found in the home of a murdered police officer. According to one document, the murder was ordered by Christoforos Nikos Amanatidis, known as Taki.
In Bulgaria, it is believed that he is a mafia boss and the country’s largest drug smuggler in history. Amanatidis and his associates were under investigation for armed robbery, drug trafficking, and murder, but were never brought to justice.
From Bodyguards to Assassins?
BBC journalists learned from Europol documents in their possession that Bulgarian police established a connection between Taki and Ignatova before her disappearance in 2017. Authorities suspect he used the pyramid scheme for money laundering.
“We were told that a major drug dealer was responsible for her physical security. Taki’s name came up more than once. It was a regular topic,” Reinhardt confirmed to the publication.
This aligns with information previously obtained by journalists: in 2019, U.S. prosecutors stated that Ignatova’s head of security was a major Bulgarian drug dealer, though they did not name him. They claimed he was also involved in her disappearance.
A Bulgarian source close to Ignatova reported that she might have been paying Taki up to €100,000 a month.
Frank Schneider, a former advisor to Ignatova who handed over Europol documents to the BBC, confirmed that his boss worked with “crooks” and “gangsters.” However, he refused to name any names.
“I won’t tell you who, because I have a family. […] This is truly serious organized crime,” he stated.
At the time of the interview, Schneider was under house arrest in France, awaiting extradition to the U.S. He disappeared a few months later.
Stoyanov suggests that at some point, Ignatova became a burden for Taki, and he preferred to eliminate her. The journalist noted that Bulgarian law enforcement confirmed the authenticity of the informant’s report but cannot use this statement as evidence.
Experts Almost Certain of Murder, But No Proof
Stoyanov managed to speak with one of Taki’s associates, Krasimir Kamenov, nicknamed Kuro, who is wanted for murder. He said he asked the drug lord whether criminal matters should be discussed in Ignatova’s presence.
“Don’t worry, she’s almost dead,” was the alleged response.
Kuro also claimed to have spoken about Taki with the CIA, including regarding the murder of the OneCoin founder. BBC sources confirmed that such a meeting took place at the end of 2022.
In May 2023, Kamenov was killed in his home in Cape Town along with his wife and two others who worked for him. South African police are still searching for the killers.
After examining available property records and speaking with witnesses, Stoyanov found that most of Ignatova’s Bulgarian assets are now used by people associated with Taki.
“Among thieves, there is no honor, […] knowing how ruthless the cartels are, if [Taki] thought she was a threat to him, […] he would likely have eliminated her rather than be caught,” Reinhardt stated.
Following the release of the 2019 podcast “The Missing Cryptoqueen,” the BBC team received a wealth of information and reports about Ignatova’s whereabouts after her alleged murder, including details of a failed police operation in Greece to capture her in 2022.
Journalists suggest that rumors of her death might be a brilliant ruse to throw everyone off the trail.
“At some point, it might seem like Elvis Presley is still alive. […] In reality, this is unlikely,” commented former Bulgarian Deputy Minister Ivan Hristanov, who investigated Taki in 2022.
In May 2022, Europol added Ignatova to its list of most wanted criminals. Subsequently, the FBI included the OneCoin founder in a similar list.
At the time of writing, Ignatova’s profile is absent from the relevant EU police service page.
American law enforcement has not yet removed her from the top ten most wanted list. However, Reinhardt is confident that the agency will not do so until it receives “definitive proof” of her death.
Back in March, OneCoin founder’s brother Konstantin Ignatov was released in the U.S. after three years in prison.