The pirate who allegedly threw a cryptogram to a crowd before his 1730 execution.

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Olivier Levasseur, known as La Buse, was a formidable pirate who plundered a Portuguese galleon of immense riches. Legend claims that as he stood on the gallows in 1730, he tossed a mysterious cryptogram into the crowd, challenging them to find his hidden treasure. But is this tale actually true?

Born in Calais to a wealthy family, Olivier Levasseur began his career as a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession. By 1716, he had turned to piracy, eventually partnering with notorious figures like John Taylor. His most famous exploit was the 1720 capture of the Nossa Senhora do Cabo, a Portuguese galleon so heavily laden with treasure—including gold, silver, diamonds, and the Fiery Cross of Goa—that the pirates reportedly did not bother robbing the passengers individually.

Following his capture near Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, Levasseur was hanged in Saint-Denis, Reunion, on 7 July 1730. The story of his final act—tossing a 17-line cryptogram to the crowd—is the foundation of a persistent treasure hunt. Despite decades of searching by figures like Reginald Cruise-Wilkins and claims by modern researchers, no conclusive evidence of the treasure has been found. Historians of piracy now largely regard the gallows speech and the cryptogram itself as 20th-century fiction, first appearing in a 1934 book by Charles de La Roncière.

The myth has nonetheless left a deep mark on popular culture, influencing everything from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island to the manga One Piece. While treasure hunters continue to explore sites on Reunion and the Seychelles, the legend remains a powerful example of how historical figures are transformed into folklore. Whether or not Levasseur left a secret code, his life as a pirate remains a significant chapter in the history of the Indian Ocean.

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