- Last week, Forbes Middle East published an article on Ezekiel Osborne describing him as a “crypto millionaire” and one of the co-creators of Monero.
- Known Monero developers denied knowing Osborne. Additionally, some onlookers pointed out his uncanny resemblance to a man known as Zeke Echelon, a person involved in collective market manipulation.
- It is unclear how Osborne, an alleged crypto scammer managed to get his face on the cover. Neither the magazine nor the bylined author Claudine Coletti has responded to inquiries by crypto journalists about the article.
Ezekiel Osborne, a man accused of being a notorious crypto scammer was featured recently in the cover of Forbes Middle East. In the piece, he was described as both a pioneer and a “cryptocurrency entrepreneur.”
Who is Ezekiel Osborne?
In 2015, Osborne apparently founded the Lightspeed Tech company. He also claimed to have a net worth of around $200 million.
The startup system he founded is said to be aimed at “bridging the gap between cryptocurrencies and immature markets by providing users and investors with options and key tools.”
Osborne also claimed in 2014 that he was one of the founding members of Monero—a cryptocurrency that has made it onto the list of the top 10 digital currencies worldwide. In the Forbes interview, he restated said claim saying Monero was created by him and 5 other people, some of whom he apparently does not know.
In a tweet, Riccardo Spagni, one of Monero’s leading contributors claimed he has never heard of Osborne prior to reading the article. He also vehemently denied Osborne ever played any part in the creation of the privacy coin.
Shady connections
In response to Spagni’s debunking, several Twitter users claimed Osborne closely resembled someone named Zeke Echelon, a man who touted himself as “the world’s best pumper.”
Pump and dump groups, coordinate active traders so they’ll collectively purchase small-cap cryptocurrencies to produce a price pump. After that, they dump them on the market to make a quick profit.
Undoubtedly, said activity is deemed securities fraud in may jurisdictions—hardly the pastime of the ideal early coin adopter (worth $200 million) he claimed to be.
Was Forbes ME Scammed?
The question many are asking right now is if Forbes ME was scammed and why they were not able to do basic due diligence on a “crypto millionaire” who made such seemingly outrageous claims.
However, if Forbes ME was indeed scammed, they can take consolation in the fact they weren’t the first victim. Osborne has also been featured on the Khaleej Times, one of the oldest and longest running daily in the UAE.
The Khaleej Times article also credulously stated how Osborne got into crypto in 2012 and his role as a founding member of Monero in 2014.
