The world’s oldest tortoise, Jonathan, is alive and well, despite a viral cryptocurrency scam that claimed the animal had died.
On Wednesday—April Fools’ Day—an account on X/Twitter pretending to be the 193-year-old tortoise’s veterinarian claimed that Jonathan had died.
The account, @JoeHollinsVet, impersonated the real-life caretaker for the tortoise, Jonathan Hollins, writing: “At an estimated 193+ years old, this gentle giant outlived empires, wars, and generations of humans.” The same account also had a verified blue checkmark, which anyone can easily buy, making it harder for users to tell which accounts are legit.
The tweet was enough to dupe the BBC into writing an article, amplifying the claim that Jonathan had died. Wikipedia also updated its entry on the tortoise. But the claim was quickly debunked as officials on the island of Saint Helena, where the tortoise lives, reported that Jonathan was still kicking. The island’s government even published a statement, stating “the world’s oldest living land animal is very much alive and well.”
(Credit: St Helena Government)
“Yesterday, stories circulated on social media falsely claiming that Jonathan had passed away. These claims are entirely untrue and appear to be part of an online hoax,” the St Helena Government added.
The account @JoeHollinsVet has since admitted they were merely pulling a prank. But the stunt might’ve had a financial motive. The account’s profile is linked to an address to buy a Solana meme coin based on Jonathan the tortoise. Trading in the meme coin shot up on Wednesday as the hoax went viral, sending its price soaring.
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The account @JoeHollinsVet might have been preparing the stunt for a while. The account changed its username in January. To lend legitimacy, it also reposted a barrage of tweets about the tortoise and Saint Helena. But if you dig further, you’ll see that the account previously posted about cryptocurrency.
@JoeHollinsVet seems to have no remorse about the prank, writing to one angry user: “It was a turtle calm down.” Others have reported the account. X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it would suspend the account.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
