The Louvre Museum heist has drawn international attention after criminals made off with $102 million worth of rare jewels during a heist they pulled off in broad daylight and within a matter of minutes.
There’s been another intriguing angle, when a man wearing a fedora hat and dressed to the nines was pictured next to Paris policemen. He was quickly confused as a French detective who oozed sophistication, with an aura of international mystery.
The man donned a fedora, a black coat over a golden vest, a white shirt, and a tie. Adding more intrigue is how he stood, with one hand resting inside his pocket and the other hand somewhat leaning against his umbrella, looking like he stepped straight out of a 1940s crime film.
Some people thought it was an AI-generated photo. The photo, however, was actually taken by The Associated Press, which referred to him as “a dapper mystery man” standing near police officers blocking access to the Louvre Museum following the Oct. 19 heist.
Turns out the viral Louvre “detective” was just a rando walking around pic.twitter.com/4MC6rKlKaz
— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) October 23, 2025
That all sounded great, but it was also too good to be true.
It turns out the man wearing the Fedora was just walking around being a looksy loo just like everyone else in the area. He just happened to be looking like a GQ model when a photographer started snapping away.
As for the jewelry heist, the museum’s director said on Wednesday that it was a “terrible failure” on the museum’s part. According to The Associated Press, she offered to resign, but the offer was refused.
The entire heist lasted less than 10 minutes. Per The AP, the thieves spent less than four minutes inside and were within steps from the Mona Lisa.
The thieves used a freight lift that was wheeled to the Seine-facing facade. They broke a window to enter.
In the end, the thieves made off with eight objects, including Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown, which has more than 1,300 diamonds. The crown, however, was later found outside the museum, albeit damaged.
Police are still searching for the suspects, but police have since recovered some DNA that may help break the case open.
