The mystery of the elegantly dressed young man in a fedora who appeared in a widely circulated photograph taken during the Louvre burglary has finally been solved. After days of wild speculation on social media - with theories ranging from him being a French detective to an AI-generated image or even part of a Netflix production - the identity of the dapper figure has been revealed. The mysterious gentleman is actually Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux, a 15-year-old high school student with an impeccable sense of style.
The photograph that sparked the internet frenzy was taken by Thibault Camus, a photographer with the Associated Press, on October 19 during the Louvre incident. Pedro explained the circumstances of his presence at the museum that day in an interview with The New York Times. "My family and I were going to see an exhibition at the Louvre, but we noticed that the museum was closed, so we approached the police officers to ask them what was happening," he recounted. It was at that moment that photographer Camus happened to pass by and captured the now-famous shot.
Camus described the spontaneous nature of the photograph to the AP and BFMTV, saying, "He appeared in front of me, I saw him, I took the photo. He passed by and left. My eye was immediately drawn to this well-dressed character." The image shows Pedro surrounded by police officers, his elegant attire and fedora hat making him stand out dramatically against the backdrop of the investigation scene.
It took several days, millions of shares, and a feature in The New York Times before Pedro realized he had become an internet sensation. "A friend sent me a message asking if it was me in the photo. I told her yes, it was indeed me. She told me that I had five million views on TikTok. I was a little surprised," Pedro recalled during an interview with BFMTV from his family home in Rambouillet, in the Yvelines department. "Then my mother called me and told me I was in The New York Times."
The teenager's distinctive style isn't just a one-time occurrence - it's part of his regular wardrobe choices. Pedro has earned the nickname "Fedora man" due to his characteristic hat, and he regularly dresses in this elegant manner. His vintage-inspired look originated during his high school's carnival when he chose to dress as Jean Moulin, the famous French Resistance fighter. He borrowed the clothing from family members, with the fedora belonging to his grandmother.
Pedro's commitment to his sophisticated style extends beyond special occasions. As he explained to Le Parisien, "It's essential for me to be a true gentleman. I only save the hats for weekends," noting that he regularly goes to school dressed in this distinguished manner. His dedication to elegant fashion has clearly made him stand out among his peers, though he likely never expected it would make him an international internet phenomenon.
Looking toward the future, Pedro has ambitious career aspirations that match his refined appearance. He hopes to either follow in his father's footsteps and become a diplomat at the United Nations or pursue a military career. As he put it, this career choice remains "an enigma he still needs to solve." For now, however, this young gentleman from Rambouillet has captured the world's attention with nothing more than his impeccable style and perfect timing.
