Ross Ulbricht

Ross Ulbricht is an American computer programmer best known for creating Silk Road, an online marketplace that operated on the dark web from 2011 to 2013. Silk Road facilitated the sale of illegal drugs and other illicit goods, using Bitcoin to ensure anonymity. Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and later convicted of charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit drug trafficking. In 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole, which sparked debates about the severity of the punishment and the implications of online privacy and digital marketplaces.