What is the biggest steal in history?

Defining the "biggest steal in history" is complex, as the term "steal" can encompass various forms of illicit acquisition, ranging from direct cash heists to the theft of invaluable artifacts, cybercrime, or even large-scale historical plunder. While no single event universally holds the title, certain incidents stand out due to their immense monetary value or significant impact.

The Largest Cash Heist

When considering direct theft of physical currency, one event stands out as the largest in global history:

The theft of approximately US$1 billion from the Central Bank of Iraq in March 2003, shortly after the United States commenced the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This massive sum, reportedly retrieved by Saddam Hussein and his son Qusay just hours before coalition forces began bombing Baghdad, represents an unprecedented amount of cash stolen in a single incident. The recovery of a significant portion of the money later did not diminish the scale of the initial theft.

Other notable large cash heists, while significant, do not reach the scale of the Iraq Central Bank theft:

• The Northern Bank Robbery (Belfast, 2004): Approximately £26.5 million (around US$50 million at the time) was stolen.
• The Brinks-Mat Robbery (London, 1983): £26 million in gold, diamonds, and cash (worth over £90 million today when adjusted for inflation).
• The Securitas Depot Robbery (Kent, England, 2006): Approximately £53 million (around US$92.5 million at the time) in cash was stolen.

Iconic Thefts of Valuables and Art

Beyond cash, "steals" can involve art, jewels, and other high-value assets. While their market value can be subjective and fluctuate, some heists are legendary for the irreplaceable nature of their loot:

Art Heists

• The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist (Boston, 1990): This unsolved theft saw 13 works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Manet, stolen. The collection is estimated to be worth over US$500 million, making it the largest unrecovered art theft in history. The frames remain empty in the museum, symbolizing the loss. You can learn more about this captivating mystery from the FBI's dedicated page on the investigation.
• The Ghent Altarpiece (various thefts, most notably WWII): While portions were stolen multiple times over centuries, its temporary disappearance during World War II under Nazi looting efforts highlights the vulnerability of cultural treasures during conflict.

Diamond and Gem Thefts

• The Antwerp Diamond Heist (Belgium, 2003): Known as the "heist of the century," thieves bypassed ten layers of security to steal diamonds, gold, and other jewelry worth an estimated US$100 million from the vault of the Antwerp Diamond Centre.

Major Cyber Thefts

In the digital age, "steals" have taken on a new form, with vast sums of cryptocurrency and sensitive data being targeted:

• Ronin Network Bridge Hack (2022): This exploit resulted in the theft of over US$625 million in cryptocurrency (Ethereum and USDC) from the blockchain bridge supporting the popular game Axie Infinity. It remains one of the largest cryptocurrency hacks to date. More details can often be found on blockchain security analysis sites.
• Mt. Gox Hack (2014): One of the earliest and most significant cryptocurrency exchange hacks, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of Bitcoin, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars at the time of the theft (and significantly more today).
• Equifax Data Breach (2017): While not a direct cash "steal," this breach compromised the personal data of approximately 147 million people, leading to significant financial fraud risks and estimated costs in the billions for the company due to fines and security upgrades.

Historical Context: Plunder and Exploitation

On a grander, often systematic scale, history is replete with instances of "steals" that involved the vast extraction of resources or treasures, often under the guise of conquest or colonization. Quantifying these precisely is challenging, but their cumulative impact far exceeds individual heists:

• Colonial Exploitation: The centuries-long extraction of raw materials, precious metals (like gold and silver from the Americas), and cultural artifacts by colonial powers from colonized lands represents an immeasurable "steal" of wealth and heritage, shaping global economic disparities. The British Empire's economic impact on India, for example, is estimated by some historians to be in the trillions of dollars.
• Nazi Looting (WWII): During World War II, the Nazi regime systematically plundered vast quantities of art, gold, and other assets from occupied territories and persecuted populations across Europe. While exact figures are impossible, the value of the stolen items runs into billions of dollars, with many pieces still unrecovered. Organizations like the Monuments Men Foundation continue the effort to locate and return these stolen artworks.

Comparative Overview of Notable "Steals"

In conclusion, while the US$1 billion theft from the Central Bank of Iraq in 2003 marks the largest single cash heist, the concept of the "biggest steal" broadens significantly when considering art, cybercrime, and historical acts of plunder, each with its own unparalleled scale and impact.