Usain Bolt marked the one-year anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of $12.7 million from his bank account by taking to social media on Thursday, January 11, 2024.
The Olympic legend had a challenging start to 2023 when he discovered that his bank account, which had remained untouched since 2012, was reduced to just $12,000.
Notably, the account had a balance of $12.7 million as of October 31, 2022. Reports from CBS revealed that Bolt was one of 30 individuals whose accounts were emptied in an incident that prompted FBI involvement.
Bolt became aware of the fraudulent activity on January 11, 2023, when a former employee linked to the scheme notified him.
The SSL fraud scheme, totaling over $30 million, affected at least 200 accounts in January of the previous year, including Bolt’s.
On the anniversary of the incident, Bolt shared a message of resilience with his 13.8 million followers on social media.
Happening now:
Police swoop down on property in Millsborough, St Andrew.
They are searching the home Jean Ann Panton, the former Client Services Manager at Stocks and Securities Limited. She's said to have defrauded nearly 40 clients.
#SSL #FSC pic.twitter.com/lGwMM4gMWA
— Giovanni R. Dennis (@GiovanniRDennis) January 20, 2023
In his Jamaican vernacular, he conveyed, “Yow peeps, so it’s been one year. Just want unnu know seh mi still deh ya, still a fight the fight, still a hold on, always a go stay strong. Yuh know how the country yutes do it (Just want you to know I’m still here, fighting the fight and holding on. I’m trying to stay strong. To all the people that support me, continue your support. One love).”
Although Bolt did not explicitly mention the SSL fraud, the timing of his post indicated that he was referring to the financial losses he endured a year ago. As of 2024, the SSL fraud case remains shrouded in uncertainty, with more questions than answers.
A former SSL employee, Jean-Ann Panton, was apprehended last year and provided a written confession, admitting to defrauding numerous clients.
Notably, Bolt’s name was not included among her victims. Additionally, Jamaica’s Financial Investigations Division (FID) uncovered additional fraudulent schemes at SSL, with the number of victims expanding from 40 to 70, according to globalvoices.com.
