> If a kidnapper knew of Nick's whereabouts, he could be tortured for days in the privacy of his own home before finally giving up the $200MM. This hypothetica

> If a kidnapper knew of Nick's whereabouts, he could be tortured for days in the privacy of his own home before finally giving up the $200MM. This hypothetical kidnapper could do exactly the same thing to anyone. Bitcoin is not a necessary component. The details of how he carried it out would just differ. Either way, torturing a semi-public figure for days in his own home and then stealing $200 million worth of Bitcoins sounds like a guaranteed way to get caught and go to prison, unless nobody would notice him missing (I suppose he'll have to kill him, too) and the thief never, ever sells the Bitcoins. This hypothetical kidnapper doesn't need to track down Szabo, he could go after any rich person and extort them.