28-Year-Old CEO Of Bitcoin Exchange Company Found Dead In Her Singapore Home
Autumn Radtke, CEO of bitcoin exchange First Meta was found dead in Singapore. It is still a mystery if her death was an accident, a misadventure, a suicide, or related to problems with the bitcoin.
By Sadho Ram — 07 Mar 2014, 05:19 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
The American CEO Of A Bitcoin Exchange Has Been Found Dead At Her Home In Singapore
The American CEO of an exchange for the troubled bitcoin digital currency has been found dead after a suspected suicide at her home in Singapore.
dailymail.co.uk
Autumn Radtke, CEO of bitcoin exchange First Meta was found dead in Singapore.
Image via ibtimes.com28-year-old Autumn Radtke, a native of Wisconsin, was discovered inside her apartment on February 28 and officials in the South East Asian city state are now waiting for toxicology test results to determine the exact cause of death.
A Local Technology Website First Reported She May Have Committed Suicide, But Later Updated Its Report To Say It Was "Unclear" How She Died
Broadcaster Channel NewsAsia said on its website Thursday that Radtke "was found dead at the bottom of an apartment block".
hindustantimes.com
Cleaning supervisor K Lekshmanan points, from the 16th floor, at where he said the body of Autumn Radtke, chief executive of First Meta Pte Ltd, was found on the second floor of a public housing estate, in Singapore March 6, 2014.
Image via hindustantimes.comThe Singapore Police Force said they received a call early on February 26 requesting assistance at a public housing block on the fringe of the central business district. "A woman in her 20s was found lying motionless," they said in a statement.
ndtv.com
"She was pronounced dead at scene by paramedics. Police are investigating the unnatural death," it added. "Preliminary investigations show that no foul play is suspected."
hindustantimes.com
Chrysanthemum flowers are seen, at the place where residents say the body of Autumn Radtke, chief executive of First Meta Pte Ltd, was found, on the second floor of a public housing estate in Singapore March 6, 2014
Image via hindustantimes.com28-Year-Old Radtke Was CEO Of First Meta, An Exchange For The Volatile Crypto-Currency Bitcoin
Douglas Adams, the non-executive chairman of First Meta confirmed that his colleague had passed away in a statement which said the company was 'shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and CEO Autumn Radtke.'
hindustantimes.com
Autumn Radtke, a 28-year-old American CEO of bitcoin exchange firm First Meta, was found dead in her Singapore apartment on Feb. 28
Image via dailymail.co.ukHer death comes as the virtual currency community is in turmoil after the collapse of Tokyo-based MtGox, one of the longest-established Bitcoin exchanges, due to a suspected theft worth nearly half a billion dollars.
fashiontimes.com
According To The Shanghai-Based Managing Director Of Kapronasia, A Financial Consulting Firm Which Deals With Bitcoin Firms, First Meta Is One Of The Pioneers Of Virtual Currency Exchanges
The First Meta service is one of several which lets users convert Bitcoin into real-world currency. The company received $466,000 in funding from Sunnyvale, Plug and Play Tech Center and Singapore's National Research Foundation in 2012.
"What happened to her is very unfortunate. I had the opportunity to meet her last year. She was somebody always very happy, outgoing, and had a way of bringing people together both within the virtual currency community and outside as well," Zennon Kapron told AFP.
hindustantimes.com
LinkedIn profile picture of Autumn Radtke, chief executive of First Meta Pte, set against a screenshot of the company's website
Image via scmp.com"Until we know what happened around (Radtke's death), it is wrong to speculate on whether there is a relationship between that and the situation with Bitcoin as a whole." He said Singapore's openness to new payment methods, talent pool as well as its status as a financial hub made it a "natural place for Bitcoin firms to get a start", along with Hong Kong.
ndtv.com
Radke Had Formerly Worked For Various Silicon Valley Companies, Including Apple, And Had Lived In Singapore Since 2008
Autumn Radtke began work in the technology sector at the age of 22 as a consultant for Virgin Charter, where she worked with chairman and billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson.
British billionaire Richard Branson with bitcoin exchange First Meta CEO Autumn Radtke
Image via dailymail.co.ukPrior to her becoming CEO at First Meta in 2012, Radtke worked as a freelancer with Apple to bring cloud-computing software to John Hopkins University and Los Alamos Labs.
hindustantimes.comAside From The Professional Issues, Many Friends And Colleagues Said She Was Also Struggling With Personal Issues. Radtke's Suicide Capped A Tumultuous Week For Bitcoin In The Markets.
The largest online exchange of Bitcoin, Mt. Gox had filed for bankruptcy last Feb. 28 after $63 million worth of the virtual currency went missing. This caused the currency to be hounded in controversy because of the sudden loss of such a large amount.
reuters.com
Prices for Bitcoin dipped sharply, registering a value of $565 per unit the day after Mt. Gox closed shop. This was half the value of the currency compared to its November 2013 high.
fashiontimes.com