The Ledger / Ryan Cohen
Ryan Cohen
◼ Origin
Born 1986 in Montreal; co-founded Chewy, the online pet supplies retailer, in 2011. PetSmart acquired Chewy for $3.35 billion in 2017 — then the largest e-commerce acquisition ever. Cohen deployed the proceeds into activist investing, accumulating a GameStop stake in 2020 and becoming its Chairman and CEO.
◼ Self-Made Verdict — YES
Cohen built Chewy from scratch with no documented inherited capital and his fortune derives from founding equity appreciation and subsequent activist investing. Self-made.
◼ Documented marks
01
Sole owner and CEO/Chairman of GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME); owns approximately 36% of shares
02
Sold Chewy.com to PetSmart for $3.35B in 2017; retained no ongoing role after PetSmart's PE ownership
03
In August 2022, sold his entire ~11% BBBY (Bed Bath & Beyond) stake in two days while a >10% shareholder, netting ~$68M before the stock collapsed; SEC investigation launched
04
FTC/DOJ found he held Wells Fargo shares over the HSR reporting threshold for nearly three years without filing the required notice; paid $985,320 civil penalty in 2024
05
Active on X (Twitter); his posts routinely move GameStop and meme-stock prices
06
Chairman and CEO of GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME); received a board-approved performance stock option covering 171.5 million shares at $20.66/share in January 2026
07
Controls RC Ventures LLC, his private investment vehicle, which holds reported billion-dollar-plus positions across multiple equities including Alibaba
08
Central figure in the 2021 meme-stock movement; his public GameStop advocacy on social media preceded massive retail-driven price spikes
09
In May 2026, made an unsolicited $55.5 billion bid to acquire eBay; eBay's board rejected it as neither credible nor attractive
10
Under reported SEC investigation regarding 2022 Bed Bath & Beyond trades in which he bought a approximately 10% stake, publicly promoted the stock, then sold at an estimated $60 million profit before the stock collapsed
No inheritance, or primary accounts documented for this billionaire yet.
◼ List of charges
Total sentence
0–0 years
That is
0.0–0.0 life sentences
(using 78 years as one life)
At $1 million per day
Ryan Cohen's fortune would last 13 years
0.2 lifetimes of luxury — before running out.
These are moral charges, not legal ones. The actual legal system has not — and will not — bring them.
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