Teen behind the Louvre heist ‘Fedora Man’ photo embraces his mystery moment

PARIS -- When 15-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux realized an Associated Press photograph of him astatine the Louvre connected the time of the crown jewels heist had drawn millions of views, his archetypal instinct was not to unreserved online and unmask himself.

Quite the opposite. A instrumentality of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot who lives with his parents and gramps successful Rambouillet, 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Paris, Pedro decided to play on with the world’s suspense.

As theories swirled astir the sharply dressed alien successful the “Fedora Man” changeable — detective, insider, AI fake — helium decided to enactment soundless and watch.

“I didn’t privation to accidental instantly it was me,” helium said. “With this photograph determination is simply a mystery, truthful you person to marque it last.”

For his lone in-person interrogation since that drawback turned him into an planetary curiosity, helium appeared for the AP cameras astatine his location overmuch arsenic helium did that Sunday: successful a fedora hat, Yves Saint Laurent waistcoat borrowed from his father, overgarment chosen by his mother, neat tie, Tommy Hilfiger trousers and a restored, war-battered Russian watch.

The fedora, angled conscionable so, is his homage to French Resistance leader Jean Moulin.

In person, helium is simply a bright, amused teen who wandered, by accident, into a planetary story.

The representation that made him celebrated was meant to papers a transgression scene. Three constabulary officers thin connected a metallic car blocking a Louvre entrance, hours aft thieves carried retired a daylight raid connected French crown jewels. To the right, a lone fig successful a three-piece suit strides past — a flash of movie noir successful a modern-day manhunt.

The net did the rest. “Fedora Man,” arsenic users dubbed him, was formed arsenic an old-school detective, an wrong man, a Netflix transportation — oregon not quality astatine all. Many were convinced helium was AI-generated.

Pedro understood why. “In the photo, I’m dressed much successful the 1940s, and we are successful 2025,” helium said. “There is simply a contrast.”

Even immoderate relatives and friends hesitated until they spotted his parent successful the background. Only past were they sure: The internet’s favourite fake detective was a existent boy.

The existent communicative was simple. Pedro, his parent and gramps had travel to sojourn the Louvre.

“We wanted to spell to the Louvre, but it was closed,” helium said. “We didn’t cognize determination was a heist.”

They asked officers wherefore the gates were shut. Seconds later, AP lensman Thibault Camus, documenting the information cordon, caught Pedro midstride.

“When the representation was taken, I didn’t know,” Pedro said. “I was conscionable passing through.”

Four days later, an acquaintance messaged: Is that you?

“She told maine determination were 5 cardinal views,” helium said. “I was a spot surprised.” Then his parent called to accidental helium was successful The New York Times. “It’s not each day,” helium said. Cousins successful Colombia, friends successful Austria, household friends and classmates followed with screenshots and calls.

“People said, ‘You’ve go a star,’” helium said. “I was astonished that conscionable with 1 photograph you tin go viral successful a fewer days.”

The look that jolted tens of millions is not a costume whipped up for a depository trip. Pedro began dressing this mode little than a twelvemonth ago, inspired by 20th-century past and black-and-white images of suited statesmen and fictional detectives.

“I similar to beryllium chic,” helium said. “I spell to schoolhouse similar this.”

In a oversea of hoodies and sneakers, helium shows up successful a three-piece suit. And the hat? No, that's its ain ritual. The fedora is reserved for weekends, holidays and depository visits.

At his no-uniform school, his benignant has already started to spread. “One of my friends came this week with a tie,” helium said.

He understands wherefore radical projected a full sleuth quality onto him: improbable heist, improbable detective. He loves Poirot — “very elegant” — and likes the thought that an antithetic transgression calls for idiosyncratic who looks unusual. “When thing antithetic happens, you don’t ideate a mean detective,” helium said. “You ideate idiosyncratic different.”

That instinct fits the satellite helium comes from. His mother, Félicité Garzon Delvaux, grew up successful an 18th-century museum-palace, girl of a curator and an creator — and regularly takes her lad to exhibits.

“Art and museums are surviving spaces,” she said. “Life without creation is not life.”

For Pedro, creation and imagery were portion of mundane life. So erstwhile millions projected stories onto a azygous framework of him successful a fedora beside equipped constabulary astatine the Louvre, helium recognized the powerfulness of an representation and fto the story respire earlier stepping forward.

He stayed soundless for respective days, past switched his Instagram from backstage to public.

“People had to effort to find who I am,” helium said. “Then journalists came, and I told them my age. They were highly surprised.”

He is relaxed astir immoderate comes next. “I’m waiting for radical to interaction maine for films,” helium said, grinning. “That would beryllium precise funny.”

In a communicative of theft and information lapses, “Fedora Man” is simply a gentler counterpoint — a teen who believes art, benignant and a bully enigma beryllium to mean life. One photograph turned him into a symbol. Meeting him confirms helium is, reassuringly, real.

“I’m a star,” helium says — little brag than experiment, arsenic if he’s trying connected the words the mode helium tries connected a hat. “I’ll support dressing similar this. It’s my style.”