In the months leading up to former President Donald Trump’s surprise April 2 “reciprocal tariffs” announcement that rattled global markets, some of America’s most prominent business leaders offloaded billions of dollars’ worth of stock. According to insider transaction data analyzed by Bloomberg and Washington Service, executives from Meta, Oracle, JPMorgan Chase, and other major firms timed their sales just before a market-wide slump—raising questions about timing, trading plans, and strategic foresight.
Zuckerberg Tops Insider Sales With $733 Million Windfall
Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg led the pack, selling 1.1 million shares through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and related foundations. The total value of the sales came to $733.5 million, all executed under a 10b5-1 trading plan adopted in August 2024.
Read More: California mayor proposes tackling homelessness with fentanyl
The transactions took place in January and February 2025, when Meta’s stock was riding high—above $600 per share and peaking at $736 on Valentine’s Day. Since then, Meta shares have plummeted 32%, reflecting broader tech market volatility triggered by tariff uncertainties.
Zuckerberg’s personal net worth fell from a February high of $259 billion to $178 billion, though he remains the third-richest person in the world, trailing only Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
Oracle’s Safra Catz Nets $705 Million
Another major seller was Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle Corp., who sold 3.8 million shares worth $705.5 million in January. Catz, known for exercising and selling shares as her options near expiration, made the move while Oracle stock traded at over $180 per share. The company’s stock has since dipped more than 30%. Despite maintaining a relatively modest stake in Oracle itself, her fortune now sits at $2.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Sells Over $250 Million
Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, also capitalized on strong early-year performance. On February 20, Dimon sold 866,361 shares worth $233.8 million, just two days after the stock hit a 2025 high. On April 14, he unloaded another 133,639 shares for $31.5 million, bringing his year-to-date total over $250 million. His net worth is now estimated at $3 billion.
Other Noteworthy Sellers
Several other executives joined the early-2025 selling spree:
- Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks and former SoftBank executive, sold 2.36 million shares worth $432.4 million. Monthly 10b5-1 sales continued into April, totaling $565 million in stock sold so far this year.
- Stephen Cohen, President of Palantir Technologies, offloaded 4.06 million shares worth $337.2 million. Palantir insiders collectively sold over $4 billion in 2024 and continued in 2025 as the stock nearly doubled before the tariff turbulence.
- Max de Groen, Director at Nutanix Inc. and a Bain Capital partner, sold 5.5 million shares worth $409.8 million.
- Chuck Davis, Director at Axis Capital and co-CEO of Stone Point Capital, sold 4.37 million shares worth $400 million.
- Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of Tempus AI, sold over 4 million shares worth $231.5 million via a quarterly 1% divestment strategy.
- Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix, sold 199,063 shares worth $194.9 million, fulfilling part of a plan set in October 2024.
- Travis Boersma, Co-founder of Dutch Bros Inc., sold 2.5 million shares worth $189.6 million over five days in February.
Read More: Dr Adib Rizvi bestowed with prestigious medical award
Despite high-profile transactions, total insider selling in Q1 2025 was down compared to 2024. Washington Service recorded 3,867 insiders selling $15.5 billion in shares—well below the 4,702 insiders who sold $28.1 billion during the same period last year. In 2024, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos alone sold more than $8.5 billion in stock.