New York Mets owner Steve Cohen says he's taking a break from Twitter after his family received "personal threats" this week.
Cohen revealed the troubling development in a statement released by the Mets on Saturday morning.
"I've really enjoyed the back and forth with Mets fans on Twitter, which was unfortunately overtaken this week by misinformation unrelated to the Mets that led to our family getting personal threats," the statement said. "So I'm going to take a break for now. We have other ways to listen to your suggestions and remain committed to doing that."
Cohen marked his arrival as official team owner with a stepped up social media presence that seemed to play well with Mets fans, many of who were eager for a change after decades under the ownership of the Wilpon family.
But the 64-year-old reputed billionaire, a hedge fund manager by trade, came under scrutiny this week over his possible ties to funds that were bested by a small group of day traders in a so-called short squeeze.
Trading of the stocks in question -- GameStop and AMC Movie Theaters among them -- was halted by services such as the RobbinHood app, where the traders were buying up the shorted stock.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy led the charge against Cohen, whose 72Point Asset Management fund is said to have a stake in Melvin Capital, one of the funds which incurred steep losses at the hands of the day traders.
Portnoy and Cohen engaged in a lengthy back and forth, with the blogger boldly declaring Cohen should face prison time.
Portnoy later appeared on WFAN's Boomer & Gio on Friday to explain the kerfuffle.
Cohen said his Twitter hiatus wouldn't have any impact on the team.
"I love our team, this community, and our fans, who are the best in baseball. Bottom line is that this week's events in no way affect our resources and drive to put a championship team on the field. #LGM!"
The episode further calls into question Cohen's somewhat checkered history in the financial sector.
In 2013, Cohen's SAC Capital hedge fund was slapped with a record $1.8B fine for insider trading.
He reached a settlement in 2016 that effectively banned him from trading for two years in what one expert told the New York Times was a "'huge victory" considering SEC regulators had once sought to ban him for life.
In 2019, a judge tossed the guilty plea of the former SAC trader who was busted for insider trading.