Who Is Ruja Ignatova? Age, Biography and Wiki
Ruja Ignatova, born on May 30, 1980, in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a well-known figure infamous for her role in the multi-billion dollar cryptocurrency scam associated with OneCoin. As of 2025, she is 44 years old. Ignatova's educational background includes attending the University of Economics in Sofia, where she pursued a degree in business. After moving to Germany, she furthered her studies at the University of Konstanz.
Her reputation took a dark turn in 2014 when she co-founded OneCoin, which, despite being labeled a Ponzi scheme by regulators, attracted millions of investors worldwide. Ignatova's disappearance in 2017 sparked a multi-national manhunt, leading to her being placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
| Occupation | Fraudsters |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | May 30, 1980 |
| Age | 45 Years |
| Birth Place | Ruse, Bulgaria |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | Bulgaria |
Popularity
Ruja Ignatova's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Ruja Ignatova stands at approximately 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) and weighs around 140 pounds (63 kg). While her exact body measurements are not publicly listed, she is often described as having an athletic and slender build.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Ruja’s personal life is typically shrouded in mystery, but it is known that she has distanced herself from family and friends since her legal troubles began. As of 2025, her relationship status remains largely unknown. There have been rumors and speculations about her having had a boyfriend before her disappearance, but no confirmed information is available regarding her current relationships or a significant other.
Her father, Plamen, was a mechanical engineer; her mother, Veska, was a nursery school teacher. Her family was Romani. She has a younger brother, Konstantin "Konsti". After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Ignatova emigrated to Germany with her family in 1990 and spent the remainder of her childhood in a small Schramberg apartment.
Net Worth and Salary
Ruja Ignatova's net worth, at the height of her OneCoin venture before her downfall, was estimated in the billions, benefiting from the influx of unsuspecting investors. However, her current net worth is difficult to ascertain due to the ongoing legal issues and the lack of access to her assets. Analysts suggest that her financial state has drastically changed since she became a fugitive, but exact figures remain uncertain.
Career, Business and Investments
After completing her education, Ignatova began her career in the field of finance and entrepreneurship. Her big break came with the establishment of OneCoin in 2014 alongside co-founder Sebastian Greenwood. OneCoin promised high returns based on a complex marketing scheme, leading to its rapid expansion. However, as scrutiny increased and investigations began, Ruja vanished in 2017, leading to a significant fall from grace for what was once considered a booming business.
Since her disappearance, there have been no credible reports of her involvement in other business ventures or investments, leading many to believe that her former lifestyle has come to an end.
Ruja Plamenova Ignatova (, occasionally transliterated as "Ruga Ignatova"; born May 30, 1980 – disappeared October 25, 2017) is a Bulgarian-German entrepreneur and con artist best known as one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, and as the founder of a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme known as OneCoin, which The Times described as "one of the b
iggest scams in history." She was the subject of the 2019 BBC podcast series The Missing Cryptoqueen and the 2022 book of the same name.
Ignatova boarded a Ryanair flight to Athens on October 25, 2017, and has not been seen since.
Social Network
Ruja Ignatova’s social media presence has been virtually erased since she disappeared. Prior to 2017, she was active on platforms like Facebook, where she shared promotional content about OneCoin and her personal life. Now, social media serves mainly as a source of information for investigators and media outlets following her case.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation added Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, replacing Octaviano Juarez-Corro, and announced at a joint press conference with IRS Criminal Investigation and United States Attorney's Office Southern District of New York.
The FBI followed up with an episode of its podcast and YouTube series Inside the FBI devoted to Ignatova and the OneCoin case. As of May 2022, there was a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to Ignatova's arrest; in June 2024, the reward was increased to $5,000,000.
In August 2024, a "UK court ordered a global asset freeze for [Ignatova] and her OneCoin associates".
Education
Ruja Ignatova's educational journey comprises notable achievements at both Sofia University and the University of Konstanz in Germany. Her academic focus on business management equipped her with the knowledge and skills that she later utilized in her entrepreneurial endeavors, albeit in a controversial manner.
Ignatova performed well in school, skipping a grade, and was described by a Schramberg teacher as the smartest student he taught. Despite her performance, she was considered arrogant by her classmates; in a schoolbook, she described herself:
