A man spent approximately 10,000 bitcoins on a couple of pizzas, unaware of the fortune those bitcoins would later represent. In 2010, when a craving for some cheesy, tomato-rich goodness struck, Laszlo Hanyecz decided to use Bitcoin to satisfy his hunger.
On May 18, 2010, Hanyecz posted on the Bitcoin Forum, offering 10,000 bitcoins in exchange for “a couple of pizzas.” He specified, “Maybe two large ones so I have some left over for the next day. I enjoy having leftover pizza to snack on later.”
He explained that he wanted food delivered without the hassle of ordering or preparing it himself—similar to ordering a “breakfast platter” at a hotel. Hanyecz listed his preferred toppings, including onions, peppers, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pepperoni, while requesting to avoid any “weird fish topping.”
Hanyecz had no idea that those 10,000 bitcoins would eventually be worth a staggering $80 million by 2019—far exceeding the value of just two pizzas.
In a segment aired by 60 Minutes, which marked Laszlo Hanyecz’s first television interview, reporter Anderson Cooper pointed out that the bitcoins he spent would now be valued at “$800 million.” He asked Hanyecz, “You spent about $800 million on pizza?”
The so-called ‘Bitcoin pizza guy’ replied, “Well, if you look at today’s exchange rate.” Cooper pressed further, “Are there nights you wake up thinking, ‘I could have had $800 million… if I hadn’t bought those pizzas?'”
Hanyecz reflected, “I think thinking like that is… not really good for me.” One Twitter user quipped, “That’s putting it lightly.”
Interestingly, as of now, the value of those bitcoins has decreased to approximately $636,113,721.89, according to Revolut. However, that doesn’t necessarily make the situation any less painful for him.