Winklevoss Brothers: Pioneers of Crypto Assets Turning Defeat into Victory

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are identical twins born on August 21, 1981, in Greenwich, Connecticut. They displayed exceptional athletic talent and entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, teaching themselves HTML at 13 to build websites for local businesses and founding their first online company during their teenage years.

During their time at Harvard University, the brothers majored in economics while also becoming top rowing athletes. In December 2002, they conceived HarvardConnection (later renamed ConnectU), a social network aimed at elite college students. To realize this idea, they sought the help of computer science student Mark Zuckerberg.

However, Zuckerberg ultimately used their ideas to launch Facebook. This led to a protracted legal battle, which finally reached a settlement in 2008. At a critical moment, the Winklevoss brothers made a life-changing decision: to choose Facebook stock instead of cash compensation. This decision brought them nearly $500 million in returns when Facebook went public in 2012.

In 2013, they once again demonstrated keen insight. At that time, the price of Bitcoin was only $100, and they invested $11 million to purchase approximately 100,000 coins. This decision made them one of the world's first confirmed Bitcoin billionaires when the price of Bitcoin reached $20,000 in 2017.

In addition to investing, the Winklevoss brothers are also committed to building a Crypto Assets ecosystem. They founded the Gemini exchange, becoming one of the first regulated Crypto Assets exchanges in the United States. Through Winklevoss Capital, they have invested in multiple Crypto Assets projects, covering various aspects from protocol development to infrastructure construction.

The two brothers have been actively promoting the regulation and mainstream adoption of Crypto Assets. They first submitted a Bitcoin ETF application to the SEC in 2013, and although it was rejected multiple times, it laid the groundwork for later success. In January 2024, the spot Bitcoin ETF was finally approved, marking the culmination of their years of effort.

Currently, the Winklevoss brothers' net worth is estimated to be around $9 billion, most of which comes from Bitcoin investments. They hold about 70,000 coins, worth $4.48 billion, along with other crypto assets. The Gemini exchange secretly filed for an IPO in June 2025, marking further integration into mainstream financial markets.

In addition to the Crypto Assets field, the two brothers have also ventured into the sports industry, investing in the English football club Real Bedford. They have also supported education through generous donations, including a $10 million donation to their alma mater, Greenwich Country Day School.

The story of the Winklevoss brothers showcases their unique insight and unwavering spirit. Learning from the failure of the Facebook lawsuit, they found new opportunities in the Crypto Assets space, successfully turning defeat into victory and becoming pioneers and leaders in this emerging industry.