Johann Steynberg, the mastermind behind a South African bitcoin Ponzi scheme, recently died of a heart attack while under house arrest on a farm in Brazil. According to his Brazilian wife, Steynberg left no will and had no assets that could be inventoried.
South African Police Investigate Steynberg’s Reported Death
Johann Steynberg, a South African bitcoin Ponzi scheme mastermind, reportedly passed away in Brazil after succumbing to a blood clotting condition known as pulmonary thromboembolism. At the time of his reported death, Steynberg, the CEO of the bitcoin investment platform Mirror Trading International (MTI), was under house arrest at a farm in Brazil’s Goiás state.
At the time of his death, Steynberg, who had his three-and-a-half-year jail sentence commuted, had been transferred to the farm pending his extradition hearing. As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, the extradition hearing was expected to determine Steynberg’s next destination.
Although a death certificate purporting to confirm Steynberg’s tragic end has been posted online, some in South Africa have cast doubts over the report. On social media, some users suggested that Steynberg, who was reportedly buried in Jardim das Palmeiras, Goiânia, may have staged his death. Others compared reports of Steynberg’s death to the story of a killer known as Thabo Bester, who faked his death to facilitate his escape from a South African prison.
Steynberg’s Mental Health Issues
Similarly, a report by another media outlet suggested an elite unit within the South African police is yet to be convinced that Steynberg is dead.
Meanwhile, a report by Mybroadband revealed that Steynberg had been experiencing worsening mental health problems. Although no date of when this escalation started is given, the report disclosed that the MTI mastermind’s lawyer, Thales Jayme, had to take Steynberg to a doctor on April 15 after he had a panic attack. However, seven days later, Steynberg succumbed to a heart attack.
After his death, Steynberg’s Brazilian wife reportedly claimed that her late husband neither had assets that could be itemized nor did he leave behind a will.