It was a dark and stormy night, and—

Scratch that, that was not what happened. Despite the lack of a dark and stormy night, the Louvre heist really was right out of a movie. It was a sunny Sunday morning, a peaceful day in Paris, France. An average Sunday, except for the fact that $102 million worth of jewelry was stolen from one of the most famous art museums in the world. 

If you imagined that the Louvre heist would have been like something out of Ocean’s Eight, you’d unfortunately be pretty wrong. The actual heist was so simple, so not-planned it almost could have been an accident. There was no hacking, no artificial intelligence, no computers or cameras involved, no high tech gadgets—nothing. On Sunday, October 19, 2025, four people drove up to the building in a truck with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift, usually used to move heavy furniture, to climb up to a balcony. At around 9:30 a.m. local time—shortly after the museum opened—two of these people entered the Louvre through a window they had broken with angle grinders. Have you ever wondered if the museum guards, who bother you about your bags or standing too close to the art, would ever protect it from people who were actually trying to mess with it, instead of bothering innocent high schoolers? Well, now we know the answer is no, they will not. Following protocol, the guards ushered the visitors to safety (no people were harmed during the heist) and called the police while the thieves used their power tools to break into two glass cases containing the crown jewels of France. The cases are located in the Apollo Gallery, originally built as a prototype for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The robbers were only inside for less than four minutes before climbing down and driving away on two scooters at 9:38 am. Turns out that just a few neon safety vests and a little confidence can make you a millionaire.

The thieves, however, are not living the dream. They left behind a few items, including a hi-vis vest, a glove, a helmet, and a power tool, not to mention one of Empress Eugénie’s crowns, which was also dropped during the heist (it has been recovered, but it is damaged). Three suspects matched DNA samples found at the scene, and if found guilty, they will face up to fifteen years in prison. Four arrests have already been made. Only fifteen years, though? Honestly, it might be worth it to give it a shot myself—anyone who’s interested in joining me should send me an email. About 60 investigators are working on the case, and some theorize that they’re involved with an organized crime group. 

The impact of the heist, however, was much greater than the monetary value of the jewels. France lost key items that were a part of its history and culture, the faults in security at the Louvre were exposed, and the heist went viral. No one seemed more perplexed than the people of the internet. So bewildered even, they made memes about it. And Halloween costumes, and songs, and comedy sketches, too. Unless you’re hearing it here for the first time, you probably found out about this whole debacle from social media. TikTok and Instagram creators were given content for days, between playing dress-up and coming up with conspiracy theories about Captain Holt and Jake Peralta of Brooklyn 99 coming back for one last Halloween heist. Even the mechanical lift company and a private jet company used the heist as part of new marketing campaigns. 

The stars of the whole show, though, were the actual jewels. And the robbers had spectacular taste—I mean, have you seen them? They stole eight pieces that all belonged to French royalty in the 19th century, including Napoleon III and his wife Empress Eugénie. Now, the jewels are probably already taken apart and sold in pieces. Experts believe that finding the jewels at this point is unlikely. 

What’s the Louvre going to do about this situation though? Throughout the investigation, a few notable pieces of information about the museum’s security system were disclosed, which may answer Natalie Goulet, a member of the French Senate’s finance committee, who commented that “[it is] difficult to understand how it happened so easily.” This investigation revealed that only 75% of the rooms at the Louvre have security cameras, and the one camera in this area was pointing away from the balcony at the time of the break-in. Furthermore, the password to this surveillance system was simply “Louvre,” and the system is a Windows Operating System from 2003. That’s older than any current HSMSE student! Though the loss of these historical artifacts is devastating, we can’t help but consider the part Louvre security (or lack of it) played in the robbery. The ease of the heist is questionable, exposing the faults in security. It was dubbed by Andrew Harding, a Paris correspondent for the BBC, “an embarrassment” and “a humiliation for the security forces.” French President Emmanuel Macron plans a $93 million dollar security renovation in the following years. The password and ancient security systems were not directly involved nor exploited during the heist, but the break-in started a more thorough investigation of the museum’s security, and brought to light these other slightly disappointing aspects of the Louvre.

The crime was so simple yet so stunning—the sort of thing someone would never expect to happen in real life. The thieves employed a “hiding in plain sight” strategy by committing the crime in broad daylight instead of at night, which worked amazingly well. It should be in a book or a movie or somehow made up, but it isn’t. It’s the stereotypical heist: glittering jewels, unique characters, and Paris as the backdrop. I don’t think even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would change a thing. 

Some final Louvre heist takeaways:

• You probably shouldn’t make your password “password” unless you’re in the business of ridding your house of expensive jewels. 
• Anyone could rob the Louvre because a good disguise can get you anywhere. (Except past MSE security—when you show up late, they always know.)
• HSMSE students should take note—our track equipment might add up to just as much.