Alexandre Cazes A.K.A. AlphaBay’s DeSnake – More Money Leads to More Problems

The alleged operator of the now defunct AlphaBay darknet marketplace has committed suicide in a Thai jail cell. There is still some confusion as to whether or not this individual is indeed DeSnake, the infamous AlphaBay owner. After doing some research to find out more about this DeSnake individual, it appears there is a lot more to this story.

A Closer Look at DeSnake And His Desire for Money

Things are starting to add up for the AlphaBay shutdown and they are not looking all that great for anyone hoping to get their money back. Alexandre Cazes, who committed suicide in jail earlier this week is allegedly the one and only DeSnake, infamous operator of the AlphaBay darknet marketplace. One source reached out to us claiming he had met Cazes through an online group chat.

This Canadian national liked to talk about parties, life in the city, and girls in Bangkok. Just like most major cities around the world, there are online chat groups where people share ideas, things they noticed, or just spread information. Jakub Hanke and Alexandre Cazes e-met through this particular group some time ago.

Cazes went –allegedly– by the nickname of Fish, and he was always eager to exchange ideas about learning the Thai language. Learning a new language as a foreigner in a country where English will only get you so far is an absolute necessity.  Cazes had seemingly mastered the language -both in written and verbal form- over the years, despite spending less than a full year on the subject. Some people just have a knack for these things. He also seemed quite helpful, according to Hanke.

However, Hanke could not help but notice how Cazes started making boatloads of money in quickly. He even purchases several expensive cars, a villa, and other luxury items most people in Bangkok can only dream of. Cazes told everyone he became rich thanks to being an early Bitcoin investor, which obviously is untrue. A global investigation by the police points to Cazes being the AlphaBay owner known as DeSnake. Running such a marketplace would certainly explain the 26-year-old’s wealth.

The investigation also shows how Cazes was a multi-million dollar wonderboy. His three estates alone are worth close to $12 million, which does not include his cars -such as the Lamborghini below- or all of the other purchases he made in recent years. Unfortunately, Cazes only lived just over two years since launching the AlphaBay market, which means he never was able to take full advantage of this newfound wealth. It is a sad end to a story.

Speculation leads us to believe AlphaBay generated over half a million US Dollars in transactions per day. There is a 3.5% commission for every order, which means DeSnake earned over $20,000 every single day for doing virtually nothing. Going from a luxurious income to committing suicide in a prison cell at the age of 26 is not how Cazes would have envisioned his career. Money does not buy happiness, and earning money illegally will often lead to a premature death or loss of freedom.