SF man who can't remember Bitcoin password says he's 'made peace' with $220M loss

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco man who can't remember the password to unlock his $220 million Bitcoin fortune says he long ago "made peace" with the reality he may never gain access.

Stefan Thomas went viral this week after a New York Times profile revealed to the world his unsettling dilemma: The password to unlock his Bitcoin fortune is locked in a hard drive that gives users 10 attempts before wiping clean. Thomas has just two more tries.

In an interview with ABC7 News on Wednesday, Thomas said it's now been nine years since he first realized he was locked out of his account, which means he's had ample time to process it.

"There were sort of a couple weeks where I was just desperate, I don't have any other word to describe it," Thomas said, recalling how he felt when he first learned he couldn't find his password in 2012. "You sort of question your own self-worth. What kind of person loses something that important?"

But "time heals all wounds," he added, and over the years he said he has "made peace" with his loss.

"It was actually a really big milestone in my life where, like, I sort of realized how I was going to define my self-worth going forward," he said. "It wasn't going to be about how much money I have in my bank account."

That's all great and altruistic, but losing $220 million?! That's sure to stress out even the most genuine of people.... (Read more)

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