Dr. Ruja Ignatova launched the fraudulent OneCoin cryptocurrency ten years ago, deceiving millions worldwide. In 2017, she disappeared after boarding a plane in Sofia, Bulgaria, and has not been seen since.
The FBI has charged Dr. Ignatova with fraud, accusing her of stealing over $4 billion from investors across 175 countries.
A recent BBC investigation, which took over a year, links Dr. Ignatova to Hristoforos Nikos Amanatidis, also known as Taki, a suspected Bulgarian organized crime boss. According to Richard Reinhardt, who initially investigated OneCoin, Taki was repeatedly mentioned as responsible for her security.
It was reported that Dr Ignatova last travelled to Athens with Taki as her bodyguard, who returned without her. The BBC learned from an assistant attorney that Taki, notorious in Bulgaria and likened to El Chapo, allegedly used OneCoin to launder drug money.
Former Bulgarian deputy minister Ivan Hristanov described Taki as elusive and protective, capable of making people disappear if crossed. Taki reportedly now resides in Dubai.
However, the relationship may have soured as Bulgarian journalist Dimitar Stoyanov reported in 2022 that Dr. Ignatova was murdered on Taki’s orders in late 2018. Her body was allegedly dismembered and disposed of at sea. Since her disappearance, her properties have been linked to Taki’s associates.
Despite these grave accusations, there has been no arrest related to Dr. Ignatova’s murder, and her body remains unfound. Rumours persist that news of her death might be a ruse to mislead the public.
