Tyler Winklevoss

Tyler Winklevoss is an American entrepreneur, investor, and Olympic rower. He was born on August 21, 1981, in Southampton, New York. Tyler attended Harvard University, where he majored in economics and competed on the varsity rowing team

During his time at Harvard, Tyler along with his twin brother and Cameron co-founded ConnectU, a social networking site that was designed to connect college students. They later accused Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea and sued him for intellectual property theft. The case was widely publicized and portrayed in the movie "The Social Network." The lawsuit was eventually settled for $65 million, which was made up of $20 million in cash and $45 million in Facebook stock. 

After the settlement, Tyler and Cameron turned their attention to investing in emerging technologies, particularly cryptocurrencies. They founded Winklevoss Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in startups focused on emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. They were early investors in Bitcoin, and have been vocal advocates for the technology, arguing that it has the potential to revolutionize the financial industry.

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss were first recognized as "Bitcoin billionaires" in 2017 when Bitcoin's price surged to nearly $20,000. As of now, Forbes estimates each brother to have a net worth of $1.1 billion. 

In 2015, they launched Gemini, a digital currency exchange that has become one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. In 2023, Gemini has been charged with securities violations by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The charges follow a series of public disputes between Gemini and DCG leadership in the aftermath of the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange in November. This resulted in a fresh wave of industry contagion as funds stored on FTX were either locked away or missing. It is reported that Gemini is now facing over $900 million in customer funds that may be impacted by the charges.

In addition to their business activities, Tyler and Cameron are also accomplished athletes who have represented the United States in the sport of rowing. They were members of the US national rowing team and competed in the men's pair rowing event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They have also been active philanthropists, donating money to various causes, including education and the arts.