Bloomberg: Big CEOs sold millions of shares before Trump's tariffs were announced


04/21/2025

The leader of Meta Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, and JPMorgan Chase Chairman James Dimon sold shares worth millions prior to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of raised import tariffs, Bloomberg reports. The agency cites the insider trading information provider Washington Service.



Anurag R Dubey
Based on this information, Zuckerberg sold 1.1 million shares for $733 million in January and February via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and an associated fund. During that time, Meta stocks were valued at over $600. Following Trump's declaration of import tariffs, the value of securities dropped by 32%. As per the Forbes billionaires list, Zuckerberg's wealth on April 1, 2025, stood at $216 billion (ranked second globally), while on April 20, it was $173.8 billion (ranked third).

Safra Catz, Oracle's CEO, divested 3.8 million shares for $705 million. The worth of the company's securities dropped by over 30% following the duty announcement. As per Forbes' Billionaire Rankings, which monitors the wealth of the wealthiest individuals globally, Catz's net worth was estimated at $2.5 billion as of April 20. By 2024, it stood at $1.7 billion and reached $2.6 billion by early 2025.

James Dimon, leader of the biggest U.S. bank, offloaded $234 million in stock in the first quarter. As of April 20, Forbes reports Dimon's wealth at $2.3 billion. One year prior, Dimon's fortune was valued at $2.1 billion, rising to $2.4 billion by early 2025.

Stocks of Meta, along with JPMorgan Chase & Co, Oracle, and several other American firms plummeted following Donald Trump's announcement in early April regarding import tariffs between 10% and 50%. Trump quickly halted the majority of tariffs for a period of 90 days, citing the readiness of over 75 countries to engage in trade negotiations. The abrupt downfall of the markets had a significant impact on 3,000 billionaires: the total wealth of the wealthiest individuals dropped by $270 billion.

source: bloomberg.com