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Silk Road

An online black market, called the eBay of drugs, founded by Ross Ulbricht.

1 source1 tips

Where Silk Road comes up1 episode or test

How I WriteInside the Mind of a Newsletter Mogul (Sam Parr Interview)
At a glanceBilton rebuilt Ulbricht's arrest from small physical details
  1. 1Collect physical detailsWeather, wind, Facebook photos, Ross's diary
  2. 2Work into arrest sceneDetails placed where Ross sat and faced
  3. 3Reader sees the sceneSam says bakery and street details were accurate

From Sam Parr on Nick Bilton's American Kingpin

What was said about Silk Road

  • Silk Road, the eBay of drugs, sold about $2 billion in two or three years. Sam Parr describes Silk Road as an online black market founded by Ross Ulbricht. He says it moved roughly $2 billion in sales within two or three years.

    Ulbricht was arrested at a library five doors from Sam's house in San Francisco. The figure is Sam's recollection in conversation, not a sourced audit.

  • Nick Bilton's American Kingpin rebuilt Ulbricht's arrest from small physical details. Bilton read the weather, wind direction, Facebook photos showing where Ross was facing, and Ross's daily diary. He worked all of it into the arrest scene.

    Sam lived in that neighborhood and says the bakery and street details were accurate, so he felt like he was there. Sam uses it as an example of researching physical details so readers can see the scene.

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