ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 30, 2023 – Building Chewy into an e-commerce giant made Ryan Cohen a hot commodity on Wall Street, but jumping into the online frenzy around GameStop and Bed Bath & Beyond transformed him into an icon for a generation of individual investors hell-bent on turning American finance upside-down. On Tuesday, June 6 at 10pm ET, CNBC Documentaries presents "Making of the Meme King," a documentary that digs deep into Cohen's unorthodox background and the bold, often controversial moves that earned him nicknames such as Papa Cohen and the Meme-Stock King.
In this one-hour documentary, CNBC follows Cohen's business journey from being a computer-savvy high school graduate to becoming the billionaire catalyst behind the infamous GameStop meme-stock phenomenon. The documentary features people close to Cohen who've never spoken publicly about him, retail investors on Reddit, board members and employees from companies with which Cohen has been involved, as well as research analysts, securities professors and journalists, including CNBC's Melissa Lee.
CNBC dives into Cohen's first major entrepreneurial venture, Chewy, a highly successful e-commerce pet supply company. Interviews with former Chewy employees as well as Chewy's first investor, Volition Capital's Larry Cheng, take viewers through the metamorphosis from start-up to multibillion-dollar business.
"Making of the Meme King" follows Cohen to his next major endeavor, GameStop, which establishes Cohen's persona as a new type of activist investor. The documentary brings viewers into the action both online and inside the company with first-hand accounts from Reddit users and GameStop board members and employees.
The documentary also explores his brief investment in Bed Bath & Beyond, a formerly robust but now bankrupt bricks-and-mortar retailer that he hoped to return to profitability. Through interviews with members of social media communities, securities experts and professors, CNBC examines questions and criticisms that arose after Cohen quickly sold his entire stake in the company.
"Making of the Meme King" provides an in-depth analysis of Cohen's business ventures, along with his latest targets including Nordstrom and Alibaba, as it delves into the mystery behind the meme-stock king. It also raises the question of where this young investor – not yet 40 – may turn his attention next, and how he may change the financial landscape, for better or worse, along the way.
For additional information and to view early clips from the documentary, visit: cnbc.com/making-of-the-meme-king.
For more information contact:
Jennifer Dauble
CNBC
t: 201.735.4721
m: 201.615.2787
e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com
Stephanie Hirlemann
CNBC
m: 201.397.2838
e: Steph.Hirlemann@nbcuni.com
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