Viral 'Fedora Man' from Louvre Heist Photo Identified as 15-Year-Old Sherlock Holmes Fan
The teenager photographed outside the Louvre after the crown jewels heist was identified as Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux, 15, of Rambouillet.
November 10, 2025 - 10:23 AM ET • 2 min read
The identity of the "fedora man," a sharply dressed teenager whose photograph outside the Louvre museum went viral following a major heist, has been revealed as 15-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux. The youth, a fan of fictional detectives, was captured by an Associated Press (AP) photographer outside the Paris museum on the day the French crown jewels were stolen.
For three weeks following the theft, the image of the dapper youth in a hat prompted widespread speculation across social media, with theories suggesting he might be an insider, a detective, or even an AI-generated image. Mr. Delvaux, who lives in Rambouillet, 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Paris, decided to let the mystery linger.
"I didn't want to say immediately it was me," the 15-year-old said. "With this photo there is a mystery, so you have to make it last."
Mr. Delvaux, a dedicated admirer of fictional investigators like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, told the AP that he had planned to visit the Louvre with his family but found the museum closed due to the police activity. He said he was unaware a crime had taken place when he approached officers to ask about the closure.
The viral image captured the teenager standing near a silver car blocking a Louvre entrance, hours after thieves carried out a daylight raid on the French crown jewels. The photograph was intended to document the crime scene, but the presence of the sharply dressed youth quickly turned him into an international curiosity.
The teenager confirmed that his outfit, which contributed significantly to the mystery, included a fedora, a neat tie, a jacket chosen by his mother, and an Yves Saint Laurent waistcoat borrowed from his father.
The revelation of the "fedora man's" identity resolves a secondary mystery that emerged in the wake of the Louvre heist. Investigators moved swiftly to arrest and charge four people for the crime, which involved the theft of the French crown jewels. Following the incident, the Louvre director admitted that the museum's CCTV security systems were inadequate.