⏱ 2 min read
New York, NY – Kenneth Thom, the social media personality known as “K$” or “K Money,” admitted in federal court today to running a classic grift: posing as a financial expert to steal money from his followers. Thom, 40s, pleaded guilty to investment adviser fraud before Judge Edgardo Ramos, facing sentencing June 25, 2026.
According to prosecutors, Thom wasn’t the “Wall Street veteran” and “luminary” he portrayed online. He was a former broker – stripped of his license by FINRA back in 2011 after failing to pay an investor he’d already screwed over. The feds say Thom copped to commingling an investor’s funds with his own, losing most of it on bad trades, then lying to the investor instead of fessing up.
Undeterred, Thom reinvented himself as a trading guru on social media. He built a following by hawking courses and offering ‘investment advice,’ while allegedly pocketing the cash for himself. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton’s office says Thom specifically targeted his followers, convincing them to invest with him and then simply stealing their money.
“He recruited social media followers, convinced them to invest with him, and then stole their money,” Clayton stated. The office warns investors to verify credentials and perform due diligence, especially when getting advice online.
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