Marcus, 41 — Denver
"My son doesn't even know my hardware wallet exists."
Marcus has spent twelve years quietly building a crypto portfolio. His 16-year-old son knows nothing about it. After a close call on the highway last spring, Marcus realized that if he died tomorrow, a decade of savings would vanish with him — no seed phrase, no instructions, no way in. He set up Deadman Secrets that same night.
Digital estate planning
Elena, 54 — Portland
"Three weeks in the hospital. My business almost died with me."
Elena's appendix ruptured on a Tuesday. Her business partner spent the next three weeks locked out of their server infrastructure, banking portal, and every vendor account. By the time Elena recovered, two key contracts had lapsed. She rebuilt the business. She also made sure it would never depend on her being reachable.
Business continuity
David, 33 — Nairobi (sometimes)
"If I go silent, my editor needs what I have."
David is a freelance journalist who covers stories governments would prefer he didn't. He has encrypted source files, contact lists, and unpublished drafts that matter. He's not paranoid — he's practical. His editor in London has a Deadman Secrets access link set to open if David doesn't check in for ten days.
Press freedom
Priya, 38 — Chicago
"I manage everything. My sister wouldn't know where to start."
Priya lives alone and handles the finances for both herself and her aging parents. Her sister in Toronto is the emergency contact for everything — but has no idea what accounts exist, where the passwords are, or what bills are on autopay. Priya keeps Deadman Secrets updated like a will she actually believes in.
Family preparedness
James, 29 — Fayetteville
"Deployment is the easy part. Coming home and not telling anyone anything — that's the habit."
James did two tours and came back quieter than he left. He's got a will, but it doesn't have his passwords. His brother is three states away and they talk maybe twice a month. James set his check-in window to 14 days. If he ever goes dark longer than that, his brother gets everything he needs — and a letter James wrote on a good day.
Veteran preparedness
Sofia, 46 — Austin
"We shook hands on a deal worth seven figures. It was all in my head."
Sofia's startup was mid-acquisition when she was rear-ended on I-35. She was fine. The deal almost wasn't. Critical IP documentation, the LOI draft, and NDA-covered correspondence existed only in her email and her memory. Her lawyer now has a Deadman Secrets link that opens if Sofia's out of contact for more than a week.
M&A continuity
