In 2025, mega-cap technology corporations disproportionately fueled the US stock market's ascent, while their executives similarly dominated insider selling activity. Billionaire founders, chief executives, and directors collectively liquidated over $16 billion worth of shares.
The most substantial transaction originated from Amazon.com Inc.'s Jeff Bezos, who initiated stock sales coinciding with his celebrity-filled wedding to Lauren Sanchez. The eventual disposal of 25 million Amazon shares yielded the world's third-wealthiest individual a staggering $5.7 billion.
The technology sector's rally, propelled by widespread euphoria surrounding all things artificial intelligence, also significantly boosted the fortunes of less prominent executives such as Arista Networks Inc.'s Jayshree Ullal. A rare billionaire CEO who did not found her company, the long-time leader of the networking-equipment firm sold nearly $1 billion in stock as her net worth surged past $6 billion last year.
Virtually all top insider sellers, including Ullal and Bezos, utilized 10b5-1 trading plans, which publicly pre-announce their intention to sell shares.
The following list details 2025's leading insider sellers, according to data from the Washington Service, which monitors insider transactions. This information, tracking sales disclosed in regulatory filings through December 30, incorporates board directors who report insider sales on behalf of their respective firms.
1. Jeff Bezos
Chairman, Amazon
Total shares sold: 25,000,000
Total value sold: $5,654,270,394
Bezos divested 25 million Amazon shares in 2025 under a pre-arranged trading plan that commenced the same weekend as his Venetian wedding. Executed over June and July, these sales amounted to $5.7 billion, elevating his total stock sales since 2002 beyond the $50 billion mark, as tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Amazon chairman has diversified his interests since establishing the e-commerce behemoth and frequently allocates sale proceeds to fund his space exploration company, Blue Origin. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
2. Safra Catz
Former CEO, Oracle
Total shares sold: 12,500,000
Total value sold: $2,531,343,305
Oracle's former chief executive has consistently been prompt in liquidating acquired shares, a trend that persisted throughout 2025. Utilizing a 10b5-1 plan, Catz exercised and sold millions of performance-based stock options awarded in the first half of the year as Oracle's stock reached new peaks. In contrast to founder Larry Ellison, whose wealth is predominantly tied to Oracle stock, Catz maintains a relatively modest holding of 1.1 million shares. She relinquished the CEO role in September after an 11-year tenure, transitioning to vice chair of the board. Externally, Catz recently joined the board of Paramount Skydance Corp., led by Ellison's son David, and holds several restricted stock units not factored into her $3.5 billion fortune per Bloomberg's wealth index. Oracle declined to comment.
3. Michael Dell
CEO, Dell Technologies
Total shares sold: 16,253,968
Total value sold: $2,222,753,261
Dell generated significant attention in December by announcing, alongside his wife Susan, a $6.25 billion donation to establish "Trump Accounts" for 25 million American children. A portion of these funds may have originated from his stock sales conducted during the year. The founder of the Round Rock, Texas-based computer firm often sells large, billion-dollar blocks of stock without employing a 10b5-1 plan. In 2025, he sold over $2 billion across two separate transactions in June and October, increasing his cumulative sales to more than $13 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Dell retains an approximate 40% ownership stake in his company. Representatives for Dell Technologies did not respond to a request for comment.
4. Jensen Huang
CEO, Nvidia
Total shares sold: 6,000,000
Total value sold: $1,048,586,165
When Huang initially filed to sell 6 million Nvidia shares, the anticipated proceeds were approximately $865 million. However, the stock's relentless upward trajectory ultimately pushed the total value of his sales beyond $1 billion. Concurrent with these sales, Nvidia achieved milestone valuations, becoming the world's first $4 trillion company in July and subsequently the first $5 trillion company in October. Huang also contributed over $300 million to a donor-advised fund and his foundation, which has struggled to match Nvidia's stock growth and must double its charitable giving again in 2026. Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment.
5. Jayshree Ullal
CEO, Arista Networks
Total shares sold: 7,560,143
Total value sold: $975,839,433
Ullal steered Arista Networks to unprecedented heights in 2025, with the networking equipment provider's stock surging nearly 50% to a record in October before paring some gains to end the year up 19%. Her stock sales also set a record as she liquidated over $975 million in the autumn. Despite these disposals, the majority of her $6.1 billion net worth remains concentrated in her 2.4% stake in the company, as indicated by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Ullal is one of four billionaires associated with Arista Networks and a rare example of a non-founder CEO ranking among the world's wealthiest women. A spokesperson for Arista did not respond to a request for comment.
6. Mark Zuckerberg
CEO, Meta Platforms
Total shares sold: 1,387,605
Total value sold: $944,785,836
Meta's stock concluded the year with a 13% gain as the social media giant fully embraced artificial intelligence. During this period, Zuckerberg and his wife's Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, along with its associated foundation, cashed out nearly $945 million worth of shares. Zuckerberg has previously stated his intention to donate 99% of his stock during his lifetime and still holds a 13% stake in the company he co-founded. It was a turbulent year for his philanthropic endeavors, which encountered layoffs, shifting priorities, and severed ties with a pro-immigration group he had co-founded. Meta did not respond to a request for comment.
7. Max de Groen (on behalf of Bain Capital)
Director, Nutanix
Total shares sold: 10,980,467
Total value sold: $830,759,670
This Nutanix board director represents Bain Capital, which divested two-thirds of its stake in the cloud-computing firm over the past year. Last summer, the Boston-based investment firm converted a note and received 16.9 million shares, which de Groen stated in June 2024 the firm had no plans to sell. Bain subsequently sold nearly 11 million shares across two transactions in March and June, reported under de Groen's name. Despite hitting a peak in May, Nutanix experienced a double-digit decline in November after reducing its 2026 revenue forecast. Bain Capital declined to comment.
8. Frank Slootman
Chairman, Snowflake
Total shares sold: 3,437,162
Total value sold: $757,721,569
Slootman leveraged his leadership roles across three technology companies to amass a ten-figure fortune, surpassing other non-founder CEOs like Apple Inc.'s Tim Cook and Microsoft Corp.'s Satya Nadella. Since retiring as CEO of the cloud computing company in 2024, Slootman has been exercising stock options and selling shares pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan. He continues to serve as chairman of the Montana-based company, which did not respond to a request for comment regarding his sales.
9. Nikesh Arora
CEO, Palo Alto Networks
Total shares sold: 4,000,000
Total value sold: $738,421,375
Arora, a former SoftBank Group Corp. executive, secured a massive compensation package to lead cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks in 2018. Since then, the billionaire has been systematically exercising and selling portions of his stock options on a monthly basis under a 10b5-1 plan, culminating in nearly $740 million in sales for the year. Earlier in 2025, Arora and a consortium of technology investors purchased an English cricket team. Palo Alto Networks did not respond to a request for comment.
10. Baiju Bhatt
Director, Robinhood
Total shares sold: 7,697,404
Total value sold: $724,926,811
Robinhood's co-founder briefly entered the ranks of the world's 500 wealthiest individuals in 2025 after the Menlo Park, California-based trading platform's stock quadrupled by early October. Although the stock subsequently relinquished some gains, Bhatt had already cashed out nearly $725 million. The former co-CEO sold 7.7 million shares throughout the year, including several million transactions outside his pre-existing trading plan. His current net worth stands at $6.7 billion, down from an October peak of $8.9 billion. Bhatt did not respond to a request for comment.
