Kevin O'Leary awarded $2.8 million in defamation case against crypto influencer Ben 'BitBoy' Armstrong

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida issued a $2.8 million default judgment against former crypto influencer Ben Armstrong (also known as "BitBoy") in a defamation case brought by investor Kevin O'Leary. The court ruled against Armstrong in six counts of defamation due to his failure to present a defense. The damages include approximately $78,000 for reputational harm, $750,000 for emotional distress, and $2 million in punitive damages.

The case stems from a post Armstrong made on the X platform in March 2025, where he falsely claimed that O'Leary was involved in a fatal boating accident in 2019 and committed murder.