Richard Kim, the founder of the crypto casino Zero Edge, confessed to gambling away a significant sum of investor funds. Zero Edge, a platform promising equal odds for customers and the house, faced a major setback due to Kim’s actions. Kim, who previously held executive positions at Galaxy Interactive, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan, was asked to resign by the Zero Edge board of directors on July 2.
On June 20, Zero Edge successfully completed a seed financing round. However, starting the very next day, Kim began placing leveraged positions on various cryptocurrencies. An internal email revealed by CoinDesk detailed how Kim’s risky trades resulted in substantial losses over several days. By the end of June, Kim informed the board that he had lost approximately $3.67 million. The email stated, “He had begun placing leveraged positions on some cryptocurrencies, resulting, over the course of the next several days, in the significant loss of company funds.”
A Costly Mistake
Further insights into the situation were shared in a Substack post where Kim explained the chain of events leading to his downfall. He admitted that a “careless mistake” with a phishing site initially cost him $80,000. This incident triggered old habits, leading him to chase his losses aggressively. Kim confessed, “Something snapped,” and he felt an overwhelming need to rectify his missteps. Within days, he had millions in leveraged longs, which led to the treasury suffering a significant hit as Bitcoin prices fell from $64k to $58k.
Admission and Resignation
Faced with mounting losses, Kim finally admitted his actions to his partner and the company’s investors. He resigned immediately, acknowledging that fear and the desire to protect his reputation delayed his confession. Kim expressed deep regret and reported himself to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He emphasized that while his actions were “grossly negligent,” he had no intention of absconding with the funds.
Kim’s reckless gambling resulted in significant financial losses for Zero Edge, leading to his resignation and self-reporting to the SEC. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with unchecked gambling and the importance of transparency in financial dealings.
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