Millionaire Crypto Boss And Wife Rescued From Kidnappers In France

A French millionaire who founded a cryptocurrency company was rescued with his wife after the two were abducted earlier this week.

David Balland, a founder of Ledger ― a company that sells devices to store crypto assets ― was abducted alongside his wife, Amadine, early Tuesday morning from their home in Vierzon, France. Ledger raised $104 million in 2023, Bloomberg reported.

More than 230 officers aided in locating the kidnappers, who had asked for a ransom of $10 million to be paid through crypto, the Telegraph reported.

Authorities eventually located Balland on Wednesday night at a remote house near Châteauroux after police tracked the GPS of a suspect’s car, according to the Telegraph. Balland was found beaten and bloodied and missing a part of his finger.

Amadine was later found bound but unharmed in the back of a van in Essonne.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told reporters that the kidnappers cut off a part of Balland’s finger and sent it to his business associate demanding money.

Ten people have been arrested for their suspected role in the abductions.

“This was an extremely complex case,” Gen. Ghislain Réty said at a Thursday night press conference, The New York Times reported.

Beccuau said at the press conference that “part of the ransom has been paid.”

“Almost all of it has been traced, frozen and seized,” Beccuau added.