The odds of anyone being able to manipulate the first and last digits of any hash relating to the first version of Bitcoin to reveal a hidden vanity address are about 10 trillion to 1.
Huh? I get 2,563,893 to 1. Of course, the odds are better still if you don't limit yourself to that exact vanity address, or exactly the first and last digits of the hash, or that exact hash function (indeed, the use of such an obscure hash function suggests that many were tried in the hope of finding one that works). Nothing to see here, folks.
Wrong! You need to consider that the parameters were not known.
Now that you know it's limited to two letters it's certainly easy to say.
He was also using a different hash algorithm... go figure?