Summary, Analysis, and Review of Nick Bilton's American Kingpin PLEASE NOTE: This is a key takeaways and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Start Publishing Notes' Summary, Analysis, and Review of Nick Bilton's American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road includes a summary of the book, review, analysis & key takeaways, and detailed About the Author section. PREVIEW: American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton tells the story of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of an illegal website that helped people buy and sell illicit goods anonymously. The author traces how Ross transformed his nascent idea for an eBay for drugs on the Dark Web into a multimillion dollar business, as well as the team of crafty feds who brought him downâand ultimately put him behind bars for life. Ross was a 24-year-old graduate student at Penn State when he met his girlfriend, Julia. He was politically active on campus to the point where