American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road

In 2011, twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer Ross Ulbricht launched the Silk Road, a clandestine website on the Dark Web where users could trade drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, and other contraband without government oversight. Operating under the alias the Dread Pirate Roberts, Ulbricht built the site into a $1.2 billion enterprise. When media attention and public outcry prompted federal action, investigators launched a two-year manhunt with no clear leads or witnesses. Ulbricht assembled a network of allies to help run the illegal marketplace and took drastic measures to protect himself, including ordering a hit on a former employee. As he made plans to disappear, federal agents raced to identify and locate a man they weren't certain actually existed. Nick Bilton draws on exclusive access to key players and two billion digital words and images left behind by Ulbricht to chronicle this story. The account explores the clash between libertarian-leaning, anonymous, decentralized web advocates and traditional government authority, featuring unexpected turns, close calls, and an astonishing conclusion.