American Kingpin

In 2011, Ross Ulbricht, a twenty-six-year-old programmer with libertarian convictions, launches the Silk Road, a hidden site on the Dark Web where users can buy and sell almost anything without government oversight. Drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash and poisons all change hands there.

As the site draws press attention and public anger, federal agents start a two-year hunt for its owner. They have no leads, no witnesses and no clear jurisdiction. They know only the handle he uses, Dread Pirate Roberts.

Meanwhile the Silk Road grows into a business worth $1.2 billion, and Ross settles into the role of kingpin. He gathers a loyal crew of allies from high and low places. When word reaches him that he is a target, he takes drastic measures to protect himself, including ordering a hit on a former employee.

This is narrative non-fiction by the journalist Nick Bilton, built on exclusive access to key players and on the two billion digital words and images Ross left behind. It moves like a thriller, with lucky breaks and close calls on both sides. Underneath runs a clash between anonymous, decentralized Web idealists and the old order of government control and law.