The first sign of trouble for hedge fund wunderkind Gabe Plotkin came in late October: A poster on Reddit's popular "wallstreetbets," or "WSB," forum was taking aim at his wildly successful investment firm.
"GME Squeeze and the demise of Melvin Capital," wrote the user, Stonksflyingup, referring to GameStop Corp. (stock ticker: GME) and Plotkin's $12.5 billion firm. Before long, veryforestgreen weighed in: "Melvin Capital New Short Attack." Then, greekgod1990: "Melvin vs WSB! And GME to the moon."
So it was that the tables turned on Wall Street—and a hedge fund star suddenly found himself at the mercy of the day-trading Reddit bros who have become one of the most powerful, if improbable, forces in the stock market today. The attack on Plotkin's six-year-old Melvin Capital shifted the balance of power in ways that would have seemed unimaginable only months ago. By Wednesday, the firm had capitulated to the amateurs and covered its GameStop short.
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited Treasury & Risk content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
- Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
- Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
*May exclude premium content
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
