Nearly everyone who's watched Netflix's "Trust No One" is thinking the same thing
Netflix has been on a scammer documentary kick lately, and its latest release, Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King, is about something that happened right here in Canada.
The 1.5-hour documentary follows the life, businesses, and mysterious death of Gerald “Gerry” Cotten, a young Vancouverite who founded the company QuadrigaCX, which was aimed at helping Canadians invest in Bitcoin.
Cotten was vacationing with his wife in India when, reportedly, his Crohn’s disease flareup ended up taking his life. The only person who ever saw his dead body was his new wife, Jennifer Robertson.
But more was lost than the 30-year-old CEO.
The suspicious death of a cryptocurrency superstar? ✔️
A $250 million fortune gone missing? ✔️
A group of internet sleuths determined to find their money? ✔️Why yes, I will be watching TRUST NO ONE: THE HUNT FOR THE CRYPTO KING pic.twitter.com/i3NX2IiibM
— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) April 2, 2022
Thousands of people who had invested in Bitcoin through QuadrigaCX were unable to withdraw their funds, as Cotten was the only one who knew the passwords to make the transfers happen. Up to $250 million had simply vanished overnight.
The documentary follows a group of people who had invested with QuadrigaCX and who believed Cotten hadn’t really died, but made a run with the Bitcoin and changed his identity or gone off grid. It’s what they call a classic exit scam.
In an effort to figure out whether they had been scammed, the group members peeled through the paper trail of the crypto operation and went as far as confirming whether Cotten had really died at the hospital where it happened in India.
Several sources were interviewed, including Cotten’s sister-in-law, his former business partner Michael Patryn, journalists, and experts. And it seems like everyone had a bunch of theories to offer. But like the group of sleuths who independently investigated the case, most people who’ve watched the documentary believe Cotten never died.
also, why are people acting like Gerry Cotten couldn’t have just paid the doctor to say what was being said? The amount of missing money could easily sort out any form of an alibi.
— ♍︎ (@xandermateusz) March 30, 2022
Gerald Cotton is defo alive and spending everyone’s crypto money skskskskskss. Waka for that guy man #TrustNoOne
— King G. (@delussii) March 30, 2022
Gerry Cotton is sitting in the Maldives watching this documentary right now
— As told by Ange (@iamstargazing) March 31, 2022
One of the sources interviewed in the documentary is an unidentified man in a fox mask, only known to viewers as QCXINT. He claims that he lost hundreds of thousands to Quadriga after an investment stint in 2018.
As absurd as it may sound, some people think it’s Cotten.
This is Gerry Cotten and you can’t convince me otherwise #TrustNoOne pic.twitter.com/Qdi8vBrL4V
— Katie Parr (@katiemparr) April 1, 2022
did gerry cotten really fake his own death, and who is this guy?? pic.twitter.com/X6Zaaqm10p
— okey anya (@realOkeyAnya) April 1, 2022
What if this guy is Gerry Cotten? 😏 #TrustNoOne pic.twitter.com/wMWD3dUmgL
— Floyd (@AmuFloyd) April 1, 2022
There are also some viewers who think the documentary is sensationalist in nature and relies on the investigation skills of a group of amateur sleuths. They believe Cotten truly died in 2018, and the evidence against this simply doesn’t add up.
If Gerry cotten faked his death, why did he chose a disease where there’s only 3% chance you can die from, instead of a heart attack for example?
— Lacarne Mohammed (@LacarneM) April 1, 2022
What do you think really happened? 👀