Le Chiffre

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Lore & Background

In the 1953 novel, Le Chiffre is described as a man of specific physical traits: 1.73 m tall, weighing 114.3 kg, with red-brown hair and very dark brown eyes showing whites all round the iris. He smokes incessantly, uses benzedrine inhalers, and carries razor blades in his hatband, shoe heel, and cigarette case. Originally an inmate of a Dachau displaced persons camp claiming mutism, he later adopts his name because he is "only a number on a passport." In the 2006 film adaptation, Mads Mikkelsen portrays him as a stateless private banker with haemolacria, causing blood to weep from his left eye. He finances terrorists like Steven Obanno and attempts to short-sell SkyFleet aircraft after ordering their destruction. He was based on occultist Aleister Crowley.

In Their Own Story

The novel's plot centers on Le Chiffre losing 50 million francs in a failed investment in the Cordon Jaune brothels due to the Loi Marthe Richard. Facing execution by SMERSH, he takes 25 million francs of union funds to Casino Royale-les-Eaux to play Chemin de Fer against James Bond. After Bond bankrupts him, Le Chiffre kidnaps Vesper Lynd and tortures Bond with a carpet-beater on his genitals to retrieve the money. A SMERSH agent interrupts the torture, shooting Le Chiffre between the eyes with a silenced TT pistol. In the 2006 film, after losing over $100 million in a failed SkyFleet short-scheme, Le Chiffre hosts a Texas hold 'em tournament in Montenegro. He attempts to spike Bond's drink with digitalis but loses the final hand to Bond's straight flush. He kidnaps Vesper to lure Bond into a trap before being shot by Mr. White.

Reader's Guide

Le Chiffre operates as a paymaster for SMERSH in the novel, managing funds for a trade union capable of mobilizing 50,000 members along the French-West German border. In the 1967 film satire, he is a secondary villain who holds an auction of embarrassing photos to recover money before losing at baccarat again; his torture session with Evelyn Tremble ends when Dr. Noah shoots him dead. The character's henchmen include Basil and Kratt in the novel, both killed by SMERSH agents. In 2006, he works with contractors Mollaka Danso and Carlos Nikolic for SkyFleet. His physical habits remain consistent: meticulous dressing in dark double-breasted suits and a refusal to laugh or smile frequently.

Did You Know?

• Fleming based the character on occultist Aleister Crowley.
• In the novel, Le Chiffre carries three Eversharp razor blades hidden in his hatband, left shoe heel, and cigarette case.
• The 2006 film version gives him haemolacria, a condition causing blood to weep from a damaged vessel in his left eye.
• In the novel, Le Chiffre is interrupted by a SMERSH agent who shoots him with a silenced TT pistol as punishment for losing money.
• The character's name translates from French as 'The Cypher' or 'The Digit,' though he claims to be 'only a number on a passport.'