“I’m not in danger of going hungry”
In December 2013, journalist Barton Gellman interviewed Edward Snowden in Moscow and asked about his living conditions as a former US intelligence official living in Putin’s Russia.
“Unnecessary question,” Snowden replied, according to Gellman’s book, “Dark Mirror,” because Silicon Valley-based backers had sent him “enough bitcoins to live on until the goddamn sun dies.”
At the time, the highly volatile price of bitcoin had recently passed $1,000 for the first time. It is unclear how much bitcoin Snowden had or the average price per bitcoin of his holdings.
On October 27, 2022, with the price of bitcoin around $20,000, Decrypt editor-in-chief Dan Roberts asked Snowden, “So unless you sold everything… Are you bitcoin rich these days? And I think I read recently that you’re working with IT for a company there in Russia. Is that the case? And why do you need to work?”
Snowden, who appeared via video for the extensive interview at Camp Decrypt, laughed and replied: “So one thing I want to say: Don’t trust everything you read in the press. Second, it [bitcoin comment]… was a private comment that was not intended to be published. But look, my advice is, as a privacy advocate: If someone asks you what crypto you have, what you have, the answer is, “What is crypto?” But I don’t risk going hungry, certainly not this year. Let’s put it that way.”
Gellman did not respond to a request for comment on Snowden’s claim that the original bitcoin claim was off the record.
The US government claims Snowden removed 1.5 million classified documents from US systems in 2012 and 2013 while working as an NSA contractor in Hawaii before giving approximately 200,000 of those documents to journalists and eventually settling in Russia.
A stream of revelations stemming from the leaked documents revealed various aspects of US surveillance practices after 9/11, including both domestic dragnet programs and international espionage campaigns. Other aspects of the Snowden saga — such as the 39-year-old’s living conditions or his fate documents not provided to journalists – remain unclear.
On August 1, 2013, the day Russia officially approved Snowden’s request for asylum, prominent Kremlin-linked lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told reporters that Snowden would look to “build a new life in Russia.” In the years that followed, Kucherena repeatedly told reporters that the former CIA technician had an IT job at an unnamed company.
“Edward Snowden will start working in one of the largest Russian companies,” announced Kucherena, who took on the case pro bono and became Snowden’s primary spokesperson, on October 31, 2013. “His job will be to provide support and develop one of Russia’s largest sites.”
Kucherena’s office hung up the phone when asked for comment. Camp Decrypt was the first time Snowden, who recently became a Russian citizen, was directly asked about a job at a Russian technology company. Two former CIA officials previously expressed skepticism to Yahoo Finance when asked about Kucherena’s claims.
In any case, Snowden has several streams of income: In October 2014, he began giving paid speeches over video; between September 2015 and May 2020, he earned more than $1.2 million over 67 appearances; his 2019 memoir brought a $4 million in advance; and in June 2021, Snowden launched a newsletter on Substack that costs $50-$150 per year for subscribers (although no paid posts have been published yet).
The Camp Decrypt appearance, for which Snowden was paid an undisclosed speaking fee, is an example of Snowden cashing in on his status despite a 2020 court ruling that issued a permanent injunction against similar paid speeches and writings without the authorization of his former public employers.
Snowden is also active on Twitter, where his account has amassed 5.5 million followers since joining in September 2015 and continues to opine on various topics – including bitcoin.
“Still a lot of trouble ahead,” tweeted @Snowden recently as bitcoin’s price fell after the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, “but for the first time in a while I’m starting to feel the itch to get back in.”
Michael B. Kelley is an editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelBKelley.
Click here for the latest crypto news, updates, values, prices and more related to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, DeFi and NFTs
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Download the Yahoo Finance app for apple or Android
Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flip board, LinkedInand YouTube
