Seven minutes. Four people. Broad daylight.
120 million dollars in loot.
On October 10th, 2025 at 9:30 A.M, a machine with a large extended ladder, called a basket lift, was raised. The ladder’s end was propped on the balcony of the second floor window of the Louvre Museum’s Apollo Gallery. Climbing it were figures dressed as workmen, with neon yellow vests.
Many spectators inside and outside of the museum presumed it was a construction sight. Not hours later, the world learned it was a crime scene.
The figures took up with them two angle-grinders, which contain circular spinning blades that they used to cut through the gallery’s window. The thieves then entered the building and smashed two display cases.
In total, eight pieces of jewelry were stolen: an emerald studded necklace and earring set given to Empress Marie Louise by Napoleon Bonaparte; a tiara belonging to both Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense; a necklace and a single earring from the same sapphire set; and a pearl and diamond encrusted crown owned by Empress Eugenie, who was the wife of Napoleon the third.
The thieves brandished the angle-grinder at security guards trying to stop the theft. Meanwhile, other museum staff ushered out tourists who had witnessed the act.
In their wake, the robbers left behind two angle-grinders, a blowtorch, gasoline, a walkie-talkie, gloves, and yellow vest. During their escape-by-scooter, they also dropped Empress Euigene’s crown, which was later found damaged in a nearby alley.
The basket lift also remained, thanks to security guards who stopped the thieves’ attempt to burn it.
This Cinderella-like escape aided the authorities hunt for the robbers, two of which were apprehended on October 25th. One was stopped while trying to board a flight to Algeria, while the other was detained near his home. Both were caught due to DNA found at the crime scene. Additionally, both had prior convictions of theft. According to French officials, the two have “partially confessed” to participating in the crime.
Five more suspects have been arrested since, one through DNA evidence, leading authorities to confirm that three of the four thieves are currently in custody. They are believed to be members of an organized gang. It is possible for the final thief to be among the other four apprehended, but as of now that has not been proven.
The jewels, however, have yet to be recovered.
Naturally, it is assumed that the robbers planned to sell the priceless jewelry. To do so, the metals would have to be melted down and the diamonds reshaped, in order to make the valuables untraceable. However, such an act would erase French history and reduce the value of the loot itself, which is why authorities are racing to apprehend the final thief and locate the jewels.
Around the world, surprise echoed in the face of this event. Such a well known museum was the last place anyone expected such a brazen theft to occur, and the heist received a great deal of attention and coverage, especially on social media. Even George Clooney, star of the iconic heist film Ocean’s Eleven, joked, “I was very proud of those guys.”
Many have wondered why this heist is receiving more attention over others. There have been many other French robberies, one taking place just hours after the Louvre’s, that have not received nearly as much media coverage.“It probably got so much attention because of how valuable the jewels are and how iconic the Louvre is,” said Terra Linda junior Kylie Lee.
While much of the online attention the heist has received has been lighthearted, with many online users making jokes, French officials are treating the situation with much more solemnity. French President Macron stated that the crime was, “An attack on the heritage we cherish,” according to Time Magazine, while Laurence des Cars, Director of the Louvre, has called the heist an “immense wound,” according to ABC News.
To say the least, the heist was a shock. This has led the world to wonder: how did it happen in the first place?
The Louvre security seems to be the issue. According to a leaked audit from the French government, the Louvre security systems were outdated, and a third of the Apollo Gallery cameras were not even functioning. Des Cars claims that this is false, but she has admitted that Louvre security is not as strong as it should be.
At the time of the heist, one alarm did not even sound, likely contributing to the thieves’ success. Security systems were not even responsible for reporting the crime. Instead, a nearby cyclist called the police. They arrived promptly, but they were too late to prevent the theft.
This is not the first time the Louvre has experienced thievery. The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911, when a former employee removed the painting from its frame and snuck out of the museum after hiding there overnight. Its recovery two years later brought the painting global fame.
Thieves have even climbed up metal scaffolding onto the museum’s second floor in 1976 and stolen diamond encrusted swords, closely mirroring 2025’s heist. Additionally, a Renoir painting was taken in 1990 and has not yet been recovered. Countless other security breaches have occurred since the Louvre’s opening.
Whether or not the fourth thief will be found is currently unknown.
