It seemed like the Craig Wright vs. Ira Kleiman case was over. Defendant Wright, despite being punished with $100 million in damages that he is required to pay W&K Info Defense Research LLC, declared his victory. It turns out, however, that this is not the end of the story. The amount was increased by substantial interest.
Costly victory or costly defeat?
Craig Wright is a particularly controversial figure in the crypto world. He acknowledges himself as the creator of Bitcoin – Satoshi Nakamoto. The crypto community takes these assertions with a pinch of salt. Wright has had multiple opportunities to prove that he is Satoshi, but has never ultimately done so. One of the occasions took place at the end of last year, before a court in Miami. He was charged with fraudulent conduct against the late Dave Kleiman. Representing the victim was his brother – Ira Kleiman. According to him, Craig appropriated the right to call himself the sole creator of Bitcoin. However, both the white paper and the Bitcoin code were worked on together with Dave. A cryptocurrency wallet estimated to contain 1.1 million BTC was at stake. The case has generated a variety of emotions. From doubt in its meaning, to doubt in who created Bitcoin, to the final suspicion that this wallet does not contain any BTC. The doubters were the jurors themselves, who mostly exonerated Wright. This means that the contents of the mysterious carrier remained in his hands. Nevertheless, a compensation was ordered, which the defendant paid to W&K Info Defense Research LLC – a company founded by himself and Dave Kleiman. Its value is $100 million.
Meanwhile, federal Judge Beth Bloom, in early March 2022, ruled that Wright should add another $43 million to that amount in the form of interest.
For Wright, the fact that he kept his crypto wallet intact is an unquestionable success. However, the $143 million in total penalties awarded makes one wonder if this is really a victory.
A conundrum that may never be solved
Few believe that Satoshi Nakamoto could be Craig Wright. There has been much speculation about the creator of Bitcoin, while suggesting that this anonymous figure is also the greatest inventor of the 21st century. If you too are looking for an answer to the question of who he is, be sure to check out our article titled “Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?” and see who is among the favorites for this illustrious title.
