He is the mysterious elegant young man in the photo that went around the world after the Louvre robbery

Many questions and theories have emerged as to who the smartly dressed man with a felt hat is, photographed outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, hours after the robbery that stunned the world. The Associated Press, which published the photo that went viral, is now revealing the identity of the young man.

The young man in the picture is called Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux and he is 15 years old. When the teenager realized that an Associated Press photo of him at the Louvre on the day of the crown jewel heist had attracted millions of views, his first instinct was to keep the suspense and not say who he was.

While theories about the mysterious, dapper man in the “Fedora Man” photo — that he was a detective or an AI image — swirled, he chose to remain hidden and monitor the situation.

“I didn't want to immediately say it was me,” he told the AP.

“This photo had a mystery to it, so I had to let it last,” Pedro added.

What is hidden behind elegance

Pedro has now been photographed by the AP at his home, dressed exactly as he was that day: a fedora hat, Yves Saint Laurent vest borrowed from his father, a jacket chosen by his mother, tie, Tommy Hilfiger trousers and a restored Russian wartime watch. The hat is his tribute to French Resistance hero Jean Moulin.

In reality, he is an intelligent teenager who has accidentally entered a global story.

The image that made him famous was meant to document a crime scene. Three police officers lean against a silver car blocking an entrance to the Louvre hours after thieves made off with the French crown jewels.

To their right, a lone, elegant figure walks past them, seeming to bring a hint of cinema film sparkle.

This was when waves of theories appeared on the internet. Many believed the image was AI-generated, while others urged Netflix to acquire the screen rights to the man's story for a future series.

Pedro understood why.

“In the photo, I'm dressed more in the 1940s and we're in 2025. There's a contrast,” he said.

Even some family members and friends hesitated until they saw his mother in the background. Only then were they sure: the internet's favorite detective was a real boy.

But what was he doing there?

The real story is simple. Pedro, his mother and his grandfather had come to visit the Louvre.

“We wanted to go to the Louvre, but it was closed,” he said. “I didn't know there was a robbery.” Officers asked them why the gates were closed, and within seconds, AP photographer Thibault Camus caught Pedro on the move.

“When the photo was taken, I didn't know. I was just passing through the area,” the young man added.

Four days later, an acquaintance texted him: “Are you here?”

“He told me I had 5 million views. I was a little surprised,” Pedro said.

“It's not really something you see every day,” he said. Cousins ​​in Colombia, friends in Austria, family friends and classmates sent him screenshots of the photo and called him. “People were saying, 'You've become a star.' I was amazed that with just one photo you can go viral in a few days,” added the young man.