Le Chiffre

fictional character

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Last updated

July 22, 2026

Quick Summary

Le Chiffre is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. He is depicted as a Soviet agent working in France as the paymaster for a trade union. Le Chiffre diverts union funds for personal investment, which are lost due to a new law banning brothels. To recoup his losses, he plans to win money at the baccarat tables of the Casino Royale. In the novel, Bond's mission is to ensure Le Chiffre loses his money. Le Chiffre is later killed by an agent from SMERSH, a Soviet agency. In a 1967 film parody of Casino Royale, Le Chiffre is portrayed as a top operative in a crime syndicate and is killed after losing a high-stakes game to a player posing as James Bond.12

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Casino Royale
…is a rich gambler named Le Chiffre (Orson Welles), who is actually a top operative in a crime syndicate known as SMERSH. Bond decides to confuse his enemies by enlisting numerous agents to adopt the name James Bond. He utilizes the services of agent Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress) to seduce…
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…is a rich gambler named Le Chiffre (Orson Welles), who is actually a top operative in a crime syndicate known as SMERSH. Bond decides to confuse his enemies by enlisting numerous agents to adopt the name James Bond. He utilizes the services of agent Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress) to seduce…
Read More

Casino Royale
Summary
The villain is Le Chiffre, a spy for the Soviet Union working in France as the undercover paymaster of a communist-controlled trade union. Le Chiffre had diverted Soviet funds intended for the union and used them to purchase a string of brothels shortly before a new law banned…
Read More
The villain is Le Chiffre, a spy for the Soviet Union working in France as the undercover paymaster of a communist-controlled trade union. Le Chiffre had diverted Soviet funds intended for the union and used them to purchase a string of brothels shortly before a new law banned…
Read More