• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Some Fortune Crypto pricing data is provided by Binance.
The CoinsCryptocurrency

A hacker just stole $185,000 in crypto from actor Bill Murray that was destined for charity  

By
Eli Tan
Eli Tan
and
CoinDesk
CoinDesk
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Eli Tan
Eli Tan
and
CoinDesk
CoinDesk
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 2, 2022, 4:01 PM ET
Actor Bill Murray.
Actor Bill Murray. Oisin Keniry/Getty Images

Hours after the closing of Bill Murray’s NFT auction that raised 119.2 ETH (around $185,000) for charity Thursday, a hacker stole the funds.

The hacker started to drain Murray’s personal wallet at around 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, according to on-chain data from Etherscan and details from Murray’s team. The unknown individual also attempted to take non-fungible tokens from the actor’s personal collection.

The high-profile hack showcases how even well-known celebrities can fall victim to crypto hackers and thieves. In Bill Murray’s case, though, the actor had the benefit of a wallet security team that protected him from the worst of the incident.

Murray’s wallet security team from NFT consultancy Project Venkman stepped in to shield the actor’s NFTs by moving his high-priced JPEGs – including a Damien Hirst NFT, two CryptoPunks, a Pudgy Penguin, a Cool Cat and numerous Flower Girls – to a pair of safehouse wallets.

The hacker also tried to steal 800 NFTs from the Bill Murray collection that were sitting in the wallet, though Project Venkman said it foiled that attempt by moving those NFTs to a safehouse, too. They said they ran a script to automatically move the NFTs to safety.

They were less successful with protecting the funds. A representative confirmed the hacker made off with 119.2 ETH Murray had raised just one day before for a charity auction. The attacker sent the stolen funds to a wallet address tied to the crypto exchange Binance and Unionchain.ai, according to Murray’s team. The culprit has yet to be identified.

Though the original ETH is gone, a runner-up in the auction, Coinbase user Mishap72, has sent 120 ETH (around $187,500) to Chive Charities to replace what was lost, a representative of the marketplace told CoinDesk.

Murray’s team says it’s filed a police report and is working with crypto analytics firm Chainalysis to bring the attacker to justice. Chainalysis did not immediately respond to CoinDesk.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Authors
By Eli Tan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By CoinDesk
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in The Coins

A picture of Bitcoins
The CoinsCryptocurrency
The crypto market may be out of gas as Bitcoin dips under $100k and altcoins plummet
By Carlos GarciaNovember 6, 2025
1 month ago
Brad Garlinghouse smiles at the camera.
The CoinsVenture Capital
Ripple says Fortress, Citadel Securities invest $500 million
By Emily Mason and BloombergNovember 5, 2025
1 month ago
A man in a black hoodie and glasses is speaking
The CoinsCryptocurrency
Altcoin giant Animoca Brands aims to go public next year, listing will test investor appetite for exotic crypto assets
By Carlos GarciaNovember 4, 2025
1 month ago
A man tries to pull a coin with a BTC logo up a mountain.
The CoinsBitcoin
Crypto’s big ‘Uptober’ ends with a whimper, Bitcoin down 4%
By Carlos Garcia and Ben WeissOctober 31, 2025
1 month ago
Two men are looking at monitors while trading
The CoinsCryptocurrency
Crypto’s second wave of ETFs arrives, investors snap up new Solana offering
By Carlos GarciaOctober 31, 2025
1 month ago
Michael Saylor on stage at a Bitcoin conference.
CompaniesBitcoin
Michael Saylor boosts yield, says Strategy is at an ‘inflection point’
By David Pan, Judy Lagrou and BloombergOctober 30, 2025
1 month ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Be careful what you wish for’: Top economist warns any additional interest rate cuts after today would signal the economy is slipping into danger
By Eva RoytburgDecember 10, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Baby boomers have now 'gobbled up' nearly one-third of America's wealth share, and they're leaving Gen Z and millennials behind
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 8, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Exclusive: U.S. businesses are getting throttled by the drop in tourism from Canada: ‘I can count the number of Canadian visitors on one hand’
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Netflix–Paramount bidding wars are pushing Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav toward billionaire status—he has one rule for success: ‘Never be outworked’
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
15 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.