Wondering Where Leonardo Notarbartolo Is Now? Learn All About the Antwerp Diamond Heist

Fans of the Italian drama Everybody Loves Diamonds are wondering where the real mastermind of the Antwerp Diamond Heist — Leonardo Notarbartolo — is now. The heist drama is based on the 2003 heist where Leonardo and his crew stole diamonds and other jewels from the underground vault at the Antwerp Diamond Centre in Antwerp, Belgium, per Variety.

The robbery is considered the heist of the century and was also detailed in History's Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan on the History Channel back in 2023. Everybody Loves Diamonds was also filmed in 2023 and is currently streaming on Amazon. Italian actor Kim Rossi Stuart stars as Leonardo in the show.

Leonardo Notarbartolo is out of prison and is currently living a quiet life in Circeo, Italy. According to his Instagram, he is into motorboat racing and traveling, but he doesn't reveal if he used funds from the heist to pay for his hobbies. Leonardo shared several pictures of himself and friends wearing T-shirts with his face displayed with the words, "The Diamond Thief of Antwerp" written on the front, and the back of the shirts read, "Everybody Loves Diamonds."

He received a 10-year sentence for leading the Antwerp Diamond Heist. While still in prison in 2009, Leonardo gave an interview to Wired. The mastermind also wrote a book about the heist, "Rubare l'impossibile," which means "to steal the impossible."

The heist was considered impossible due to the security of the Antwerp diamond district, and Leonardo revealed one of his tricks. He'd been masquerading as a diamond trader in the Antwerp Diamond Centre, which gave him access to security information. The former thief revealed that he'd used a can of hairspray to disable the vault's heat and motion sensor temporarily during the heist.

The Antwerp diamond heist was valued at more than $100 million. However, Leonardo told Wired that the haul was closer to $20 million. The thief believes that he and his crew weren't the only robbers and suggested that an insurance scam gave the $100 million figure. Since the loot was never recovered, it's impossible to know if Leonardo and his crew really stole $100 million worth of jewels, or if they stole less and diamond traders lied about the amount to the insurance companies.

Leonardo claimed that a diamond dealer was in on the robbery with him, and the dealer had approached him, saying, "I'd like to hire you for a robbery, big robbery."

Leonardo and his crew were caught after DNA was found on a sandwich left at the scene of the crime, per ABC News. The culprits also left behind a rental car receipt with a license plate number Leonardo used and surveillance footage from the diamond center.

The authorities also found photographs in Leonardo's home of the vault that he'd taken the pictures of while casing the diamond center. The robbers had tried to get rid of evidence by burning it in the woods, but they failed, and a local farmer found the items.

Leonardo spent years planning the heist and had even rented a safe-deposit box in the building's vault as part of his ruse. The robbers had even stolen the video footage from the robbery, only to be caught by their careless mistakes after the fact.

Everybody Loves Diamonds is available to watch on Amazon Prime and The Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan is available on the History Channel.