• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Financeretail trading

How a 20-year-old USC student netted $110m from a Bed Bath & Beyond stock dump at exactly the right time

Sophie Mellor
By
Sophie Mellor
Sophie Mellor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Sophie Mellor
By
Sophie Mellor
Sophie Mellor
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 18, 2022, 8:26 AM ET
Bed, Bath & Beyond sign
Shares in Bed Bath & Beyond surged more than 70% on Tuesday as retail investors flocked to the meme stock.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

At around 2:00 pm ET in the afternoon on Tuesday, the share price of Bed Bath & Beyond dropped from more than $26 a share to below $20 in a matter of minutes.

The stock (BBBY), which has soared 440% over the past month as part of a Reddit-fueled squeeze, floundered for an hour or two before jumping back up to the $27 range.

As some Reddit users quickly scooped up the hot shares, others looked for answers.

“That million share dump was [Freeman Capital Management] I believe,” user DFWRestaurantGuy posted a couple of hours after the drop.

“That drop at 2 pm with 1 million shares my guess was FCM liquidating the rest of their shares.” they added.

“Did Jake Freeman sell all his BBBY? Am I reading this right?” another user, LunchOptimal5325, posted.

It wasn’t Freeman who triggered the drop in stock price.

The 20-year-old USC student posted on Reddit that he had exited his $130 million position before noon.

“The significant appreciation of BBBY’s share price combined with the fact that I am leaving for school tomorrow played critical roles in closing the Position,” Freeman wrote in a post on Reddit.

But some users weren’t convinced.

In a roundup of the day’s trading, a user wrote in a 5.7k upvoted post: “Some whale…dumped his entire holding of $BBBY dropping the price from ~$27 down to ~$20. That’s right, Freeman Capital Holdings dumped a position worth ~6% of $BBBY.”

Even as others corrected the post saying Freeman claimed to sell his shares before noon, others were incredulous.

“I think he had something to do with the afternoon dump as well, but that’s just speculation,” WeirdSysAdmin wrote.

So who is this 20-year-old who netted a rough $110 million from his selloff of Bed Bath & Beyond?

Who is Jake Freeman and how did he do it?

An applied mathematics and economics major at the University of Southern California, Freeman bought more than 5 million shares in Bed Bath & Beyond in July.

He made the buy shortly after the company ousted its CEO Mark Tritton following a dismal first-quarter financial report in late June showing that sales plunged 25%, revenues fell to $1.46 billion, and the company was drowning in $3.28 billion in debt with only $107 million cash on its balance sheet. 

Freeman’s buy-in came months after Ryan Cohen, the founder of online pet goods retailer Chewy and the chairman of GameStop, bought a 10% stake in Bed Bath & Beyond in March.

Cohen is a much-loved figure on Reddit investing forums after he bought a 10% stake in GameStop and joined the company’s board in January 2021, in part triggering the infamous meme stock rally.  

Freeman acquired his shares in Bed Bath & Beyond when the price of the stock was below $5.50 a share with $25 million he raised from friends and family.

He placed it all on Bed Bath & Beyond and became the second largest non-institutional investor in the company, after Cohen, with a 6.21% passive stake.  

Freeman wrote a scathing message to the home goods retailer’s board after investing, warning the company is “facing an existential crisis for its survival.”

Freeman advised Bed Bath & Beyond to cut its debt and raise more capital through a convertible loan issuance, without providing a plan to turn around the company’s declining cash flow or injecting capital.

But despite plummeting sales and rising debt, the price of shares in Bed Bath & Beyond still went up fourfold on Tuesday, and less than a month after Freeman bought in, he sold $130 million worth of stock from his TD Ameritrade and Interactive Brokers accounts.

“I certainly did not expect such a vicious rally upwards,” Freeman told the FT. “I thought this was going to be a six-months-plus play…I was really shocked that it went up so fast.”

The selloff came at the right time.

After trading closed on the day Freeman sold his shares, a regulatory filing from Cohen’s venture capital firm RC Ventures revealed plans to sell its entire 11.8% stake within the next 90 days—sending shares down 15% in after-hours trading.

Bed Bath & Beyond shares are now at $19.77 at 6:30 am ET in pre-market trading.

The price drop certainly didn’t concern Freeman.

After selling his shares, he went for dinner with his parents in the suburb of New York City where they live before flying out to Los Angeles on Wednesday to return to campus, Freeman told the FT.

“I am truly going to miss being able to say ‘I am the second largest non-institutional shareholder of Bed Bath & Beyond,’ but I am certainly going to be shopping at [Bed Bath & Beyond] tomorrow,” Freeman wrote in a Reddit post.

Freeman has now built up an activist stake in a publicly traded pharmaceutical company called Mind Medicine.

He did not respond to Fortune‘s request for comment.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.
About the Author
Sophie Mellor
By Sophie Mellor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Trump cancels signing a housing bill and blindsides his own party in a social media post
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump cancels signing a housing bill and blindsides his own party in a social media post
By The Associated Press, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Josh Boak and Lisa MascaroJune 24, 2026
22 minutes ago
t
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trumps holds landmark affordable housing bill hostage over his pet issue: the ‘national emergency’ of voter ID
By Mary Clare Jalonick and The Associated PressJune 24, 2026
27 minutes ago
s
BankingScott Bessent
Scott Bessent calls Mamdani ‘leader of the Democratic Party,’ touts weekly Warsh breakfasts and a new push to put every American in the stock market
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
43 minutes ago
a
RetailAmazon
Amazon’s record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
49 minutes ago
rd
AsiaChina
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks June 24, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 24, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 24, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
Economy
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
By Jacqueline MunisJune 24, 2026
9 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
Real Estate
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
By Sydney LakeJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.