People Radar – Profiling Key Players in Finance

Category: People Radar

August 25, 2024

Breaking: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested in France!

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, was arrested by French police on Saturday evening at Le Bourget airport near Paris. When apprehended under a French arrest warrant, he was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, on his private jet. He is accused of failing to take measures to curb the use of his platform for criminal purposes. Durov is expected to appear in court on Sunday to face these serious allegations.

August 23, 2024

Imprisoned Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao Moved to Halfway House! New Class Action Complaint Filed!

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has been transferred from FCI Lompoc II prison in California to a halfway house at RRM Long Beach, but contrary to speculation on social media, he has not been released. The move is part of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' process to transition inmates nearing the end of their sentences into residential reentry management (RRM) facilities. He has been sentenced to 4 months prison time.

August 20, 2024

Under Pressure: Investment Dinosaur Carl Icahn Settles SEC Charges for $2 Million!

Billionaire activist investor Carl C. Icahn has agreed to pay a $2 million fine to settle charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose that he had pledged his personal stock holdings as collateral for billions of dollars in loans. The SEC's charges, announced on Monday, highlight Icahn's use of more than half of his shares in Icahn Enterprises as collateral, a practice that went unreported for years.

People Radar

July 25, 2024

Julius Bär Appoints New CEO Amidst Fallout from Signa Group Losses!

In a surprising leadership change, Swiss private bank Julius Bär has announced the appointment of Stefan Bollinger, a partner at Goldman Sachs, as its new CEO. Bollinger will take over the traditional Zurich-based private bank no later than February 1, 2025, following a challenging period marked by substantial financial losses and executive departures. According to Google Trends, the name Stefan Bollinger was one of the most frequently searched terms on Tuesday.

July 8, 2024

Revolut Founder Nik Storonsky to Participate in $500M Share Sale!

The Russian-born British citizen Nik Storonsky, founder and CEO of the UK-based fintech giant Revolut, is set to partially cash out his stake in the company through a $500 million (£391 million) secondary share sale, Sky News reports. Storonsky, whose stake in Revolut is valued at several billion dollars, plans to sell shares worth tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming months.

June 30, 2024

Rene Benko: The Fallen Billionaire, Hotel Bauer in Venice, and Bernard Arnault!

In the wake of the bankruptcy of Austrian real estate giant Signa, owned by the embattled investor Rene Benko, the sale of the historic Hotel..

June 5, 2024

Sam Altman: The Face of the AI Revolution and a Prolific Investor

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is a towering figure in the world of technology and artificial intelligence. While he is best known for his leadership in driving the AI revolution, Altman’s financial prowess extends far beyond his role at OpenAI. As a prolific investor, he has reportedly invested in more than 400 companies, amassing a fortune worth at least $2.8 billion. This impressive portfolio underscores his influence as one of the most significant tech investors globally.

June 2, 2024

Disgraced Real Estate Investor Rene Benko: From Billionaire to Bankrupt to Hunted Prey!

The dramatic crash of Austrian real estate speculator Rene Benko could be a case for the Guinness Book of Records and for a Netflix movie. Within months, the former Forbes billionaire has become a bankruptcy giant, pursued by former investors. In December 2023, Forbes removed the Signa Group founder from its list of international billionaires. Benko's private fortune, once estimated at around €5.5 billion in 2023, has seemingly vanished, leaving investors in disbelief.

May 30, 2024

The ING Legacy: Why Ralph Hamers is Not the Right CEO for Julius Baer After All!

Julius Baer has recently taken significant steps to emerge from a crisis. The Swiss bank made headlines due to the collapse of Rene Benko's Signa Group, resulting in a reported loss of approximately CHF 586 million ($679 million). This incident has already tarnished its reputation. Now, Julius Baer is on the hunt for a new CEO, and former UBS and ING CEO Ralph Hamers is reportedly in the running. However, given his controversial past, Hamers may not be the right person for the job.

May 29, 2024

Penalty Order Against Munich Start-Up Founder Max-Josef Meier for Sexual Harassment Under the Influence of Alcohol

Max-Josef Meier, the former CEO of Munich-based car subscription start-up Finn, faces a penalty order for sexual harassment. The allegations stem from incidents at a Christmas party in December 2021, prompting the Munich public prosecutor's office to launch an investigation. Meier has been accused of sexually harassing several female employees while under the influence of alcohol. In an interview, he confirmed these allegations!

May 13, 2024

Crypto Miner Bitfarms Confronted with $27M Claim by Former CEO Geoffrey Morphy!

In a surprising turn of events, Bitfarms Ltd., a prominent cryptocurrency mining company (website) listed on Nasdaq and Toronto TSX, announced that it terminated its interim President and CEO, Geoffrey Morphy, following his lawsuit against the company. The legal dispute centers on claims of breach of contract and wrongful dismissal, with Morphy seeking $27 million in damages, including aggravated and punitive damages.

May 10, 2024

Between SoftSwiss and CoinsPaid: Who is Ivan Montik?

In the world of iGaming and crypto payment processing, the Belarussian national Ivan Montik is a figure of intrigue and influence. He is the founder and CEO of SoftSwiss, a leader in crypto-based online casinos and gambling solutions. Moreover, he is also the founder of the Austrian-Estonian crypto payment processor CoinsPaid, that is focused on high-risk industries. Officially, the beneficial owner of CoinsPaid is the Austrian Alexander Hors Riedinger. Who is Ivan Montik?

Despite New Crypto Friendlyness: No Settlement Between U.S. CFTC And KuCoin?

A planned settlement between the U.S.CFTC and crypto exchange KuCoin is now in limbo due to a reported policy shift within the CFTC. This change is attributed to the Trump administration’s new approach, which deprioritizes enforcement actions against crypto companies. As a result, a CFTC attorney said that it is "unlikely that such authorization will be granted in the near term" regarding the settlement approval.

SEC’s New Era: Paul Atkins Sworn In—Will Crypto Finally Get the Regulatory Clarity It Deserves?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has entered a new chapter with the swearing-in of Paul S. Atkins as its 34th Chairman, a move widely anticipated to mark a dramatic pivot in how the agency approaches crypto and DeFi regulation. For years, the financial industry—especially the burgeoning digital asset sector—has bristled under the SEC’s “Regulation by Enforcement” strategy.

Crypto Mogul Changpeng Zhao – Fallen, Rich, and Rising Again?

As spring 2025 blooms and Easter’s themes of rebirth fill the air, Changpeng Zhao emerges as one of the most controversial figures of startup mythology: a man who fell spectacularly, paid a price—then rose again, wealthier and louder than ever. Once the almighty architect of Binance, CZ now resides in Dubai with a net worth that Forbes estimates at $63 billion.

Prison Update: Sam Bankman-Fried Transferred to Low-Security Federal Prison in Los Angeles!

Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California. This low-security facility is known for housing non-violent offenders and has previously held notable inmates such as Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, former COO of Theranos.

Startup on Trial: Celsius Network and Alex Mashinsky – When Deception Dressed Up as DeFi Innovation!

Celsius Network promised financial freedom through crypto, only to collapse into one of the most catastrophic failures in the DeFi sector. Founder Alex Mashinsky portrayed himself as the champion of the unbanked—yet behind the scenes, Celsius engaged in reckless trading strategies, misled customers, and operated more like a hedge fund than a lending platform.