Ryan Cohen

• Largest individual shareholder of GameStop since 2020
• Chairman of the board of directors since June 2021
• CEO of GameStop since September 2023
• Led the successful turnaround of GameStop

Ryan Cohen began buying shares of GME while GameStop was a struggling company, stating in an April 2019 email to Michael Burry that he was "a large holder of GameStop."

By August of 2020, Ryan Cohen became the largest individual shareholder of GME with an approximately 9% stake of the company at that time.

Negotiating with the then-board of directors, Ryan Cohen received board seats and eventually ascended to the position of chairman of the GameStop board of directors in June 2021. At that time, the board of directors was completely replaced by Ryan Cohen and other members who he had a working history with.

The company at that time was losing hundreds of millions of dollars per year and had a poor outlook. The turnaround of the company had begun.

In September 2023, Ryan Cohen became the CEO of the company.

By fiscal year 2025 results, GameStop was operationally profitable for the first time in 8 years, had the highest stockholders' equity in the history of the company, and had its most profitable year in the history of the company. The turnaround efforts have been successful.

At GameStop, Ryan Cohen does not receive a salary, cash bonuses, or stock.

In January 2026, the board of directors announced a proposal for a long-term performance award for Ryan Cohen.

The proposal was included in the 2026 Proxy Statement, and was subject to shareholder approval at the 2026 annual meeting of shareholders.

On June 16, 2026, a GameStop investor filed a lawsuit to halt the vote on this proposed pay package, saying that GameStop’s board repeatedly and illegally changed the procedures around the stockholder vote before issuing a misleading proxy statement aimed at suppressing the turnout by public investors.

On June 23, 2026, Ryan Cohen withdrew the proposed performance award, stating that "he wants leadership fully focused on GameStop's operating performance and its proposed eBay acquisition."

Through various interviews and public posts, Ryan Cohen expresses his business philosophy and view of Corporate America.

Ryan Cohen consistently expresses support for the alignment of interests between shareholders and corporate leaders — that directors and CEOs should share the risks with their shareholders by having a personal financial stake in the business.

In a February 18, 2026 polemic titled "The Hollow Men," Ryan Cohen criticizes the culture and behavior of modern Corporate America and urges a return of the "Owner's Mentality," where "leaders treat shareholder capital with the same reverence they treat their own savings."

• 2026
  • Regarding the proposed acquisition of eBay
    • July 16: Interview with Ed Ludlow on Bloomberg Tech
    • July 13: Interview with Amit Kukreja
    • July 1: Interview with RALLI ROOTS on YouTube
    • June 23: Interview with David Friedberg on the All-In Podcast
    • June 19: Interview with Piers Morgan
    • May 13: Interview with Anthony Pompliano
    • May 13: Interview with Piers Morgan
    • May 9: Interview with Justin Resells on YouTube
    • May 9: Commentary with Business Insider
    • May 8: Commentary with the Financial Times
    • May 8: Interview in The Journal podcast by WallStreetJournal
    • May 5: Interview with TBPN Business
    • May 5: Interview with Charles Payne on Fox Business
    • May 4: Interview with CNBC
    • May 3: Commentary with the WallStreetJournal
  • January 30 interview with CNBC regarding potential acquisitions
• 2025
  • October 20 interview with TBPN
  • July 15 interview with Charles Payne on Fox Business
  • July 15 interview with Andrew Sorkin on CNBC
  • May 28 interview with David Bailey from BTC Inc.
• 2022
  • November 20 interview with Joe Fonicello of GMEdd.com

Ryan Cohen built Chewy into the top online pet retailer, sold it for $3.35 billion in 2017.