Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

GameStop saga: Robinhood denies robbing poor to help rich

GameStop saga: Robinhood denies robbing poor to help rich

Key figures at the heart of the saga line up to insist there was no foul play as politicians search for weaknesses in the market.

The chief executive of Robinhood has dismissed suggestions the zero-commission trading platform tried to stop its own users profiting at the expense of hedge funds during the GameStop saga.

Vladimir Tenev was among prominent figures involved in the share trading frenzy last month to give evidence to a House of Representatives' committee investigating any possible wrongdoing and potential conflicts in the market's structure.

There was an unprecedented surge in the struggling retailer's market value when users of a forum on Reddit, who largely held accounts on Robinhood, collaborated to inflict billions of dollars of losses on hedge funds and other so-called short-sellers - those betting that the share price will fall.

The chart reflects closing daily prices during the year to date


It culminated in shares nearing $500 each at an intraday peak - from a lowly $20 - as stock options were greedily snapped up.

They were changing hands for $43 on Thursday as politicians attempted to get to the bottom of whether punters had been short changed when the price eventually crashed at the beginning of February.

A particular concern expressed before the hearing was that Robinhood, which has more than 13 million users, and some competitors had restricted and even suspended trading on the stock and shares in other companies at the height of the trend.

It drew fury at the time from prominent lawmakers, including Republican senator Ted Cruz, who accused the platforms of protecting the hedge funds at the expense of the little guy.

But Mr Tenev told the House financial services committee, in written evidence before Thursday's hearing, that the decision to halt buying was solely due to the need to meet regulatory capital requirements.

"Any allegation that Robinhood acted to help hedge funds or other special interests to the detriment of our customers is absolutely false and market-distorting rhetoric", he said.

He said of the trading restrictions: "Despite the unprecedented market conditions in January, at the end of the day, what happened is unacceptable to us.

"To our customers, I apologise, and please know we are doing everything we can to make sure this can't happen again."

His counterpart at hedge fund Citadel, and majority-owner of the company that handles the bulk of Robinhood's customer orders, denied any influence over Robinhood's decision.

Kenneth Griffin said the first he had learned of trading restrictions at Robinhood was via the news media.

One member of the committee accused him of "wasting my time" and failing to answer as he questioned the executive on whether Citadel gives better prices to certain brokerages.

Another to defend his role was a YouTuber known as Roaring Kitty, whose real name is Keith Gill.

Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty, is being sued by subscribers over claims he misled GameStop investors


He dismissed suggestions that he had helped coordinate the GameStop rally in some way through recommendations on his video channel.

Mr Gill, who is reported to have collected healthy profits from his holdings, insisted his pre-frenzy investment was solely based on publicly-known fundamentals of the business.

It was revealed on Wednesday that he was facing a class action lawsuit brought by investors who claim he duped them into buying options.

Mr Gill has dismissed the allegations as baseless.

He told the committee during his evidence: "I am not an institutional investor, nor am I a hedge fund.

"I do not have clients and I do not provide personalised investment advice for fees or commissions.

"I am just an individual whose investment in GameStop and posts on social media were based upon my own research and analysis."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×