Bitcoin boss killed in Thailand
The Australian chief executive officer of an exchange company for Bitcoin cyber currency has been killed in a motorcycle accident in Thailand.
Melbourne resident Adam Tepper, the 34-year-old boss of Independent Reserve, was holidaying on the Thai resort island of Phuket.
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He died on Thursday when he crashed his motorbike at high speed.
Local police say he was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Independent Reserve chief technology officer Adrian Przelozny confirmed Mr Tepper’s death in a statement on the company’s website.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of the death of Adam Tepper,” Mr Przelozny wrote.
“Adam died in a motorcycle accident on Thursday.
“Adam was a passionate advocate for the use of digital currency in Australia.
“He lived his life to the beat of his own drum and Independent Reserve is a testament to his vision, intelligence and perseverance.
“He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and the Bitcoin community.”
Mr Przelozny said the funeral will be held in Melbourne on March 6.
Ao Chalong Yacht Club on Phuket posted a statement on its website saying Mr Tepper was a member and it would host a wake on Sunday.
“We will miss him both at the yacht club bar and out on the water,” the post read.
According to a biography on the Independent Reserve website, Mr Tepper was a graduate of Swinburne University in Melbourne.
He founded a Sydney-based IT consultancy company before heading up Independent Reserve.
The biography said Mr Tepper was a keen motorsport enthusiast and an annual participant in the Finke Desert Race.