When four thieves robbed €88m worth of jewels the Louvre in broad daylight, French President Emmanuel Macron branded it an ‘attack’ on the country’s heritage.
But in the days since, Gen Z have seen the already infamous heist in a slightly different light.
In fact, having grown up in an age of phone snatching and shoplifting for fun, the younger generations are calling it a ‘welcome change of pace’.
The heist has dominated TikTok as 20-somethings revel in the ‘whimsy’ and ‘rag-tag’ of the burglary, which let’s be honest, could easily be plucked straight from the script of Ocean’s 11 or Now You See Me.
Here’s what Gen Z are taking from this daylight robbery…
A lesson in confidence
Where others are mortified, Gen Z are motivated.
‘Am I a bad person for thinking the Louvre heist was kind of one of the most inspiring things to happen in my lifetime,’ Daniel Rhodes says on TikTok.
‘If anything I’m getting some messaging from this of like “chase your dream, do what fulfils you, don’t take no for an answer, think outside the box, do things that others aren’t doing. Be you!”‘
‘It is 2025 and a group just pulled off a seven-minute heist on the Louvre,’ adds @Sharee.stephenson. ‘Because what the f**k are you doing with your life. Someone just robbed the Louvre, get out of bed, go do something, be something.’
Another, @jellyroots, scribed it as a ‘lesson in confidence’.
‘If I looked at the Louvre I’d be like “I can’t steal from them, I’m sure they have really good security, it would be impossible to just break into a window and steal stuff” – and that’s what’s holding me back,’ she jokes.
‘I doubt myself, instead of just getting a van, getting a ladder… and stealing the jewels. It was that easy, they did it in broad daylight. Self-doubt is the only thing holding us back.
‘Are we not creative enough, am I just held back by my own imagined limitations? I feel like we should be doing more.’
A sense of justice
According to social psychology and criminology professor Giovanni Travaglino, the robbery is being celebrated because it represents something of a Robin Hood story.
‘People sometimes use crime as a vicarious way of expressing dissent,’ he tells Metro.
‘When there’s an authority or institution that represents power, people won’t necessarily engage in disruptive action themselves, but they develop this fascination and admiration towards the person who did, because they embody their desire for change and social justice.’
In a climate where much of Gen Z is struggling financially and battling a brutal job market, the idea of an eight-minute heist that lands you with millions of pounds in swag could seem almost commendable.
The fact no one was injured (although Louvre security guard Elise Muller told Sky she was ‘enraged’) may also make it easier to support, as we don’t empathise with faceless organisations like we do with human beings.
‘It’s definitely not a victimless crime, but it can be perceived as such because the victim is not a single individual that can be pointed out,’ professor Travaglino adds.
As one TikToker explains: ‘I guess maybe if it’s your diamonds then maybe you’d be upset but everyone else is really happy – it’s awesome.’
Even if someone had been injured during the heist, professor Travaglino doesn’t think the support for the thieves would waiver.
‘The expression of the response would have been different, but not necessarily the response itself,’ he explains. ‘It depends how hated the target of the action is.
In short, he argues this heist is a form of escapism for many, where people can satisfy their fantasy to get one over against a system which is unresponsive to their needs.
A ‘vintage’ crime
Heists have always had always been a little a la mode, especially when immortalised in films like Ocean’s 11.
Although Travaglino says these movies can ‘glamourise’ the crime, people naturally romanticise similar stories like the Great Train Robbery or the Hatton Garden Heist because of the boldness and drama they exude – especially compared to the online crimes and scams of today.
‘In this day and age of AI and robots, it’s kind of wonderful to see a good old fashioned heist,’ creator Daniel Rhodes adds. ‘They didn’t use any fancy technology, they didn’t need it, they’re good men, they used their bare hands… if anything it’s quite chic.’
‘Anything that is meticulous, well thought out, planned far in advance… if it’s a Robin Hood or noble effort – we eat that up,’ explains @soudijour.
‘Someone could break into a Nike store, not well thought out, and we’re like “that’s terrible, hooligans”. But, if someone does something this bold and brazen we’re like, “that’s awesome”. It’s elevated crime where we’re like “that’s pretty cool”.’
Another creator dubbed jewel heists in 2025 as ‘extraordinarily vintage, with @sarel remarking: ‘There’s something very Nara Smith about it – a homemade crime’.
‘It’s not shop bought, full of added preservatives, it’s not icky, it’s just a good healthy, wholesome crime,’ she adds. ‘I understand it’s not nice they were stolen, they were beautiful pieces, my god the robbers had taste… this is just tea.’
A better work-life balance
Another practical life lesson gleaned from this situation relates to its timing.
Work-life balance is an ever-pressing issue for Gen Z, who are known to regularly push back against the commuter lifestyle.
So at the news the robbery had taken place in broad daylight, it got people questioning, if criminals get to start at a reasonable time, why can’t we?
‘The way that the Louvre heist didn’t take place at dawn but at the very reasonable hour of 9.30am shows that even French jewel thieves have a great work-life balance,’ writes @manahilskhan.
‘If your boss says to start work earlier, remind him the Louvre thieves started at 9.30am and still got the job done,’ adds @aleks_justwanna_have_job.
It seems there’s a silver lining to be found in just about anything.
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