Le Chiffre

Lore & Background

Fleming based the character on Polish con artist and spy Stanisław 'Stas' Zasada, not Aleister Crowley. In the novel, Le Chiffre is the paymaster of the Syndicat des Ouvriers d'Alsace, a SMERSH-controlled trade union. He is first encountered as an inmate of the Dachau displaced persons camp in 1945, where he displayed mutism and amnesia. He later adopts the name Le Chiffre because he is 'only a number on a passport.' Not much else is known about his background except for educated guesses. In the 2006 film, Le Chiffre is a private banker who finances international terrorism, believed by MI6 to be Albanian and officially stateless. He has haemolacria, causing him to weep blood from his left eye.

In Their Own Story

The warehouse smelled of rust and diesel. Le Chiffre stood at the far end of the concrete floor, arms folded, watching the slow rotation of the chain above him. He did not look at Bond. He did not need to. He had already calculated the angle, the time, the exact moment the hook would catch. What he had not calculated was the look in Bond's eyes—not anger, not triumph, but something colder. Something that said: you were a number in a ledger, and the ledger is closed. The chain tightened. Le Chiffre's jaw worked once. He said nothing. He had never been a man for words at the end of a transaction.

Reader's Guide

In the novel, Le Chiffre loses 50 million francs of SMERSH subsidies in a failed brothel investment and goes to Casino Royale-les-Eaux to recoup losses. James Bond bankrupts him at Chemin de Fer. Le Chiffre kidnaps Vesper Lynd to lure Bond, tortures him, but is shot between the eyes by a SMERSH agent. In the 1967 film, Le Chiffre is a secondary villain who loses money at baccarat, attempts to raise funds via an auction, and is shot dead by Dr. Noah. In the 2006 film, Le Chiffre loses over $100 million after Bond foils his airline scheme, enters a Texas hold 'em tournament, loses to Bond's straight flush, kidnaps Vesper, and is shot in the head by Mr. White.

Did You Know?

• Le Chiffre's name translates to 'The Cypher' or 'The Digit'.
• In the novel, Le Chiffre's henchmen are Basil and Kratt, both killed by SMERSH agents.
• In the 2006 film, Le Chiffre uses a standard Ventolin inhaler.
• In the novel, the French press reports Le Chiffre's death as suicide, but the actual cause is murder by SMERSH.