American Kingpin

The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road

By: Nick Bilton

Narrated by: Will Damron

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom - and almost got away with it

In 2011, a 26-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the ultimate free market: the Silk Road, a clandestine website hosted on the Dark Web where anyone could trade anything - drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, poisons - free of the government's watchful eye.

It wasn't long before the media got wind of the new website where anyone - not just teenagers and weed dealers but terrorists and black hat hackers - could buy and sell contraband detection-free. Spurred by a public outcry, the federal government launched an epic two-year manhunt for the site's elusive proprietor, with no leads, no witnesses, and no clear jurisdiction. All the investigators knew was that whoever was running the site called himself the Dread Pirate Roberts.

The Silk Road quickly ballooned into a $1.2 billion enterprise, and Ross embraced his new role as kingpin. He enlisted a loyal crew of allies in high and low places, all as addicted to the danger and thrill of running an illegal marketplace as their customers were to the heroin they sold. Through his network he got wind of the target on his back and took drastic steps to protect himself - including ordering a hit on a former employee. As Ross made plans to disappear forever, the feds raced against the clock to catch a man they weren't sure even existed, searching for a needle in the haystack of the global Internet.

Drawing on exclusive access to key players and two billion digital words and images Ross left behind, Vanity Fair correspondent and New York Times best-selling author Nick Bilton offers a tale filled with twists and turns, lucky breaks, and unbelievable close calls. It's a story of the boy next door's ambition gone criminal, spurred on by the clash between the new world of libertarian-leaning, anonymous, decentralized web advocates and the old world of government control, order, and the rule of law. Filled with unforgettable characters and capped by an astonishing climax, American Kingpin might be dismissed as too outrageous for fiction. But it's all too real.

©2017 Nick Bilton (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“An astonishingly well-researched narrative.... Bilton's storytelling bears not so much as a trace of fat; the book he's conjured is so sharp and bright that it can be whipped through in the airport lounge before the flight takes off." (The Globe and Mail)

"Unbelievably riveting." (Casey Neistat)

“I dare you not to read this book in one sitting. Masterfully reported and written, Bilton’s book drops you hard into the dark heart of the most famous Internet crime to date. A first-rate thrill.” (Joshua Cooper Ramo, author of The Seventh Sense)

Couldn't stop listening

This is a great story. If you like breaking bad you will enjoy this book.

amazing book!!!!

once I started listening I couldn't stop. I wish all books on here were that good!!

What an amazing story!

I couldn't stop listening. Brilliant work weaving together the story from all angles. Crazy how greed and power can blind someone into thinking they are untouchable. Wow just wow and at the same time DAMN!

Crime

This is one of the best crime books I've read in a long time. This book is so good I am actually taking the time to give it a review. The first time I have done so since being a member.

Crazy true story

What an insane true story! Well written and read. Definitely worth a credit. Highly recommended

Exceptional in every way!

I listen to between 2-4 audiobooks a month & I simply could not stop listening to this one. It’s so well written & the narration is spot-on. It’s nonfiction that’s more entertaining than a novel & more engaging for the fact it’s true. Do not hesitate, unless you are short on time, since you’ll be driving the scenic route & getting intentionally stuck in traffic to continue listening to this compelling story!

Unbelievably true...Truly unbelievable...

I had heard plenty about the Silk Road, but only after I finished this book by Nick Bilton, did I become aware of the details concerning this illegal, drug-selling site on the dark web and how it was created and run by one man, Ross Ulbrecht.

Wow. What a story. And knowing it's real makes it all the more intriguing and engrossing.

Bilton does a phenomenal job of researching the story of the Silk Road and molding all the pieces into a fluid, coherent tale of obsession, greed, power, and naivete. As you read, you will be amazed at Ross' story before then becoming horrified by his various criminal acts. You will wonder how and why it took the government officials working for a handful of different organizations so long to track him. But, Ross is a clever guy who knew his way around the internet, was handsome enough to charm those around him, and smart enough to get his way in almost any situation.

The narration is fine, crisp, and easily understandable. I'm not particularly wild about the sound of Will Damron's voice but he gets the job done efficiently and well.

This book is a great piece of true crime. And, you'll probably now think twice before trolling the internet!

Incredible story!

Could not stop listening to the storyline. So addictive, because the story is non fiction.

one of the best books I have listened to ever

the story, the performance and the level of research and detail are outstanding. This is a must read!

Read it with a grain of salt

This is a well written, fascinating story about DPR, Ross Ulbricht. HOWEVER, be aware that this story is not endorsed by Ross or his family, meaning that it is very much a fictional story based on actual events. Some of the facts about Ross are not properly vetted are largely circumstantial. There is a lot missing from this story- I.e all the information that the defense team was not allowed to bring into court, an extremely biased judge who set out to make an example of Ross(which by the way is unconstitutional), and the fact that someone logged in to the Sill Road as Dread pirate Roberts months after Ross was arrested.

It's a great book, and wonderfully performed, but this is fiction. Always think for yourself