https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/02/04/canadian-ceo-gerald-cotten-dies-with-passwords-to-unlock-crypto-clients-190-million_a_23661485/
'A visionary leader'
Then in December, Quadriga's founder, chief executive and sole director Gerald Cotten died suddenly, according to a post on its website and Facebook page.
"A visionary leader who transformed the lives of those around him,
Gerry died due to complications with Crohn's disease on December 9, 2018 while travelling in India, where he was opening an orphanage to provide a home and safe refuge for children in need,"
the company said.
Court filings show that after his death, Quadriga employees have been unable to locate or access cryptocurrencies worth roughly $190-million. Employees tried to access cryptocurrency within Quadriga's "cold" wallets, a system which stores cryptocurrencies offline to avoid hacking, such as on USB sticks or electronic hardware not connected to the internet.
"Quadriga was unable to access the cold wallets and/or discovered that the cold wallets contained minimal cryptocurrency units," it said in court filings.