Paris Jewelry Heist: Gang Convicted in Kim Kardashian Robbery

Eight members of a criminal organization dubbed "les papys braqueurs"—the "Grandpa robbers"—were convicted on Friday, May 23, 2025, for the October 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian at Hôtel de Pourtalès in central Paris. The verdict, delivered by three judges and six jurors after a monthlong trial, concluded a nearly nine-year investigation into one of Europe's most audacious celebrity crimes.

On the morning of October 3, 2016, during Paris Fashion Week, five masked men forced their way into Kardashian's hotel suite around 3 a.m. Posing as police officers, they handcuffed the hotel concierge and used him as a translator, as the attackers spoke only French. Kardashian, who was packing at the time, was held at gunpoint, bound with duct tape and plastic cable ties, gagged, and dragged by the leg while wearing a bathrobe before being locked in the bathroom.

In her emotional testimony on May 13, 2025, Kardashian described the ordeal as the "most terrifying experience of my life," telling the court she was "absolutely" convinced she would be killed or raped. She traveled to Paris to testify before the judges and jurors, reliving the traumatic night in detail.

The gang made off with jewelry valued at approximately $10 million, including a 20-carat diamond engagement ring from then-husband Kanye West worth around $4 million. The stolen gems—gold and diamonds—were believed to have been smuggled out of France, broken up, and sold through criminal networks. None of the jewelry has ever been recovered.

Investigators determined the gang had tracked Kardashian through her social media posts, which revealed her jewelry and provided real-time location data through geotagged images and timestamps. This discovery highlighted how digital oversharing had made the high-profile target vulnerable to organized crime.