Businessman and TV personality Kevin O’Leary, known as “Mr. Wonderful” from Shark Tank, has won a $2.8 million judgment after a US federal court entered default against popular YouTuber Ben “BitBoy” Armstrong.
The ruling comes after Armstrong failed to respond to a defamation lawsuit related to false claims he made on social media, which accused O’Leary of involvement in a 2019 boating accident that resulted in fatalities.
Those claims were never proven in court, and reporters have noted the legal action focused on restoring reputation and seeking damages for harm caused by the statements.
Court Enters Default Judgment
The court award totals roughly $2.8 million in combined damages. That figure breaks down into about $78,000 for reputational injury, $750,000 for emotional distress, and $2,000,000 in punitive damages meant to punish the conduct.
#bitboy #Mrwonderful pic.twitter.com/mCUsuwESm6
— F Joe (@FJOE_CRYPTO) February 14, 2026
Judge Beth Bloom presided over the matter in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, which handled filings and issued the judgment. The ruling came after procedural steps that allow a plaintiff to obtain judgment when a defendant fails to respond.
Allegations And Timeline
Reports say the posts at the center of the case appeared in March of last year. They accused the businessman of being connected to lethal conduct and alleged a cover-up. O’Leary has never been charged in relation to that incident, and later court records showed related parties were cleared at trial.
The defamation suit alleged the statements crossed the line from opinion into false factual claims that damaged reputation and caused distress. Because Armstrong did not appear or meaningfully answer the complaint, the court treated the claims as conceded for purposes of final judgment.
Crypto Connection And Implications
Armstrong is a well-known personality in the world of cryptocurrency, operating the popular site BitBoy Crypto. His messages reach thousands of cryptocurrency fans and investors, which helped to spread the false claims.
Although the case itself is not related to cryptocurrency, it shows the legal danger that cryptocurrency influencers may face when posting unverified or defamatory information online. This decision may make other personalities in the cryptocurrency world more careful about what they post online.
Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView
