TLDR
- Kevin O’Leary won a $2.8 million defamation judgment against crypto creator Ben Armstrong (BitBoy) in a Miami federal court
- Armstrong made false posts in March 2025 claiming O’Leary was involved in a fatal 2019 boating accident where O’Leary was only a passenger
- The court awarded O’Leary $750,000 for emotional distress, $78,000 for reputation harm, and $2 million in punitive damages
- Armstrong’s posts included O’Leary’s phone number and got 156,000 views, forcing O’Leary to increase security spending by $200,000 annually
- Armstrong failed to appear in court and his request to overturn the default judgment was rejected despite citing mental health issues
Kevin O’Leary secured a $2.8 million court judgment against crypto content creator Ben Armstrong this week. Armstrong operated under the online name BitBoy Crypto before the legal action.
Kevin O Leary just won $2.8 million dollar defamation suit against Ben Armstrong aka 'Bitboy.'
This is in response to Ben's baseless accusations of Kevin being a murder.. etc. pic.twitter.com/T2dK0D1NNg
— Brian Rose, Founder & Host of London Real (@LondonRealTV) February 14, 2026
The US District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled in O’Leary’s favor after Armstrong failed to respond to the lawsuit. Judge Beth Bloom awarded the damages in a Miami federal court proceeding.
O’Leary received $750,000 for emotional distress in the judgment. The court also awarded him $78,000 for damage to his reputation.
The ruling included $2 million in punitive damages. These damages were meant to punish Armstrong for his conduct.
The case started after Armstrong made posts on social media in March 2025. He accused O’Leary of involvement in a fatal boating accident from 2019.
O’Leary was a passenger in the 2019 incident. His wife Linda O’Leary was operating the boat at the time.
Linda O’Leary faced charges of careless operation of a vehicle. She went through a 13-day trial for the charges.
The court found the other vessel had been operating without lights on. Linda O’Leary was cleared of all wrongdoing after the trial.
False Claims Spread on Social Media
Armstrong’s posts drew approximately 156,000 views on the platform. The posts called O’Leary a murderer in the content.
Armstrong also claimed O’Leary “paid millions to cover” up his role. These statements were proven false during the legal proceedings.
The posts included O’Leary’s personal phone number. Armstrong encouraged his followers to contact O’Leary directly.
The disclosure of the phone number led to a suspension on the social platform. O’Leary had to increase his annual security spending as a result.
The security costs went up by an estimated $200,000 per year. This expense was directly tied to the harassment from Armstrong’s posts.
Court Rejects Armstrong’s Appeal
The court found that Armstrong acted with actual malice in making the posts. Judge Bloom noted Armstrong had a pattern of hostile communications.
Armstrong sent messages to judges in other separate legal proceedings. This behavior supported the finding of malicious intent.
Armstrong tried to have the default judgment overturned after it was issued. He cited his incarceration as a reason for not responding.
Armstrong also mentioned mental health conditions including bipolar disorder. He argued these factors prevented him from defending himself.
The court rejected Armstrong’s request to set aside the judgment. Judge Bloom noted Armstrong had proper notice of the lawsuit.
Armstrong had been properly served with the legal documents. He waited nearly a year before attempting to challenge the default judgment.
The court found that reversing the judgment would unfairly harm O’Leary. O’Leary had already prepared motions and expert reports for the case.
O’Leary attended a full evidentiary hearing in the matter. The court determined Armstrong’s delay was unreasonable given these circumstances.
O’Leary is known for his role on the television show Shark Tank. He also appears as a business commentator on major American television networks.
O’Leary has 11.1 million followers across his social media platforms. He founded The Learning Company and sold it to Mattel in the early 2000s.
