Benoît Pagotto, co-founder of the Nike-acquired virtual sneaker design company RTFKT, has passed away at 41, according to public posts from associates.
The news was first reported by Philippe Rodriguez in a LinkedIn post, describing Pagotto as both a “client and friend” and noting his death was “sudden.” Rodriguez, a founding partner at Avolta Partners, had advised RTFKT on its sale to Nike in December 2021. Although Nike shuttered RTFKT in January 2025, Pagotto stayed on as senior director, brand and partnerships until the closure.
The news of his death was later confirmed by fellow RTFKT Co-Founder Steven Vasilev, who posted on X, “The vision, mission and inspiration [Pagotto] gave to the world will live on forever.”
In 2020, Pagotto founded RTFKT (pronounced “artifact”) with Vasilev and Chris Le. The company created digital products, including sneakers, using blockchain technology to ensure authenticity. Its artistic NFT sneakers soon gained popularity, leading to collaborations with sneaker designer Jeff Staple, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, and others.
This success culminated in December 2021 when Nike acquired RTFKT for an undisclosed sum (believed to be near $1 billion). At the time, Nike’s CEO John Donahoe said, “This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture.”
By December 2024, Nike announced it would wind down RTFKT’s operations in January 2025. A few months later, in May 2025, Reuters reported that Nike faced a lawsuit from purchasers of Nike-themed NFTs and other crypto assets, who claimed significant losses following the abrupt closure of the business that created those assets.
