Fox Business senior correspondent Charles Gasparino has ignited a firestorm of criticism after reportedly deleting over 100 posts on X related to the controversial stock Meta Materials Preferred Shares (MMTLP).
The mass deletion, first noted on April 27, 2025, has fueled accusations from retail investors that Gasparino is attempting to erase evidence of years of unprofessional conduct, biased reporting, and attacks on their community.
Screenshots of now-deleted posts, including one where Gasparino mocked retail investors and suggested shorting stocks like MMTLP, AMC, and Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) as “literally free money,” have resurfaced, intensifying scrutiny of his journalistic integrity.
Today we’re going over the controversy, Gasparino’s history of antagonism toward retail investors, his ties to Wall Street figures like Virtu Financial’s Doug Cifu and Citadel’s Ken Griffin, and the retail investor community’s response as voiced on X.
The MMTLP Post Purge: A Cover-Up or Damage Control?
On April 27, 2025, X user @xMarketNews broke the news: “JUST IN Fox Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino Deletes Over 100 $MMTLP Post [.] All of his posts regarding MMTLP are gone.”
This revelation was echoed by @Franks_Place_, who posted, “Fox Business senior correspondent Charles Gasparino just wiped out over 100 posts about #MMTLP from his feed.
Yep, all those tweets and updates?
Gone.
The guy’s been deleting like crazy, and now the whole MMTLP saga he covered has vanished from his timeline.”
The deletions come amid ongoing controversy surrounding MMTLP, a stock tied to Meta Materials Inc. that was halted by FINRA in December 2022, leaving retail investors unable to trade their shares and sparking allegations of market manipulation.
Gasparino’s coverage of MMTLP had been contentious, with retail investors accusing him of downplaying their concerns and siding with Wall Street interests.
The sudden removal of these posts has led many to speculate that Gasparino is attempting to distance himself from the backlash or potential legal scrutiny.
X user @stephmase22, a vocal critic of Gasparino, wrote, “GASBAGPARINO DELETES MMTLP TWEETS @CGasparino has harassed attacked $MMTLP shareholder along with many companies.
But suddenly deleted his MMTLP posts[.]
Are the walls closing in on you and your buddies @Dougielarge Ken Griffin Don’t worry little guy we saved them all.”
The mention of “saved” screenshots suggests that retail investors have preserved evidence of Gasparino’s posts, ensuring his past statements remain in the public eye.
A History of Attacking Retail Investors
Gasparino’s now-deleted posts include inflammatory remarks that have long drawn ire from retail investors.
One widely circulated screenshot captures a 2023 post where he wrote, “Probably the easiest way to make money in the markets is go on the massage boards, find the new #MMTLP, $AMC, $BBBY like stocks being pumped by Bird Lady types and people who use gorilla photos in their Twitter profile and short it to the max.
It’s literally free money.”
If you have more screen shots, you can email them over to media@franknez.com to be included here.
This statement not only mocks retail investors but also dismisses their investment strategies as frivolous, while promoting short-selling tactics favored by hedge funds.
The post’s derogatory tone, targeting specific retail investor archetypes, exemplifies the unprofessionalism that critics say has defined Gasparino’s career.
Retail investors, particularly those involved in the 2021 AMC short squeeze, have faced Gasparino’s scorn for years.
His attacks on the “AMC Apes,” a community of retail investors who rallied to drive up AMC’s stock price, have been well-documented.
A 2022 article by TheWrap noted that Gasparino engaged in a “heated Twitter war for nearly two years with AMC Entertainment investors,” warning that the company’s leadership was steering toward disaster.
Gasparino’s rhetoric has often crossed into personal attacks.
A 2020 satirical piece by The Stonk Market described him as going “completely off the rails” on Twitter, reacting to trolling with a tirade that included references to “meatloaf” and culminated in him deleting embarrassing posts.
The article quoted a supposed colleague saying, “This guy has been an embarrassment to the finance news industry for years.”
While satirical, the piece reflects a broader sentiment among retail investors that Gasparino’s behavior is erratic and unbefitting a senior correspondent.
A Change.org petition launched in 2021, which garnered over 1,100 signatures, called for Fox Business to fire Gasparino, stating, “Charles Gasparino has proved time and again that he lacks journalistic integrity and basic human decency.
He has REPEATEDLY attacked retail investors for their investment choices and pushed his agenda and false narrative that movie theaters, including AMC, are dead—when they have recently posted near-record attendance.”
The petition underscores the depth of retail investors’ frustration with Gasparino’s conduct.
Ties to Wall Street’s Controversial Figures
Critics have long pointed to Gasparino’s apparent alignment with Wall Street figures scrutinized for unethical behavior, notably Virtu Financial CEO Doug Cifu and Citadel’s Ken Griffin.
On March 10, 2024, @stephmase22 posted a photo of Gasparino with Cifu, captioning it, “Well no words are needed. Charles Gasparino with his buddy Doug Cifu CEO of Virtu.
Virtu is under investigation by SEC for Fraud and Market Manipulation #AMC #MMTLP #BBBY.”
Virtu Financial has faced allegations of predatory high-frequency trading practices, and Cifu’s association with Gasparino has raised questions about the journalist’s impartiality.
Related: Virtu CEO Doug Cifu is now under fire for allegedly stealing $400M from investors
Similarly, Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder of Citadel, has been a frequent subject of retail investor ire for his firm’s role in market-making and short-selling.
Citadel was implicated in the 2021 GameStop short squeeze, with retail investors accusing it of manipulating markets to suppress stock prices.
Gasparino’s perceived coziness with Griffin, as referenced in @stephmase22’s post questioning whether the “walls are closing in” on Gasparino and his “buddies,” has fueled speculation that his reporting serves Wall Street’s interests over those of retail investors.
Gasparino’s history of breaking stories that align with Wall Street’s perspective—such as his 2010 reports on the government’s plans to sell its Citigroup stake or pressure on Bank of America—has bolstered his reputation among financial elites but alienated retail investors who view him as a mouthpiece for the establishment.
His ‘combative style’, described by MarketWatch as “Fox’s Rocky Balboa,” has earned him praise from figures like Goldman Sachs’ former spokesman Lucas Van Praag, who noted that trading floors listen when Gasparino speaks.
Yet, this influence is precisely what retail investors distrust, seeing it as evidence of his bias toward institutional power.
Related: MarketWatch Now Denies Trump Media Faces Naked Short Selling
Retail Investors Fight Back on X
The retail investor community has been vocal on X, using the platform to document Gasparino’s actions and rally support.
@justinbrewer33 posted on April 25, 2025, “Fortunately, the SCREENSHOTS of Creepy Chuckie mocking, demeaning & degrading MMTLP investors don’t go away.
I hope Chuckles the Little Kenny & Dirty Dougie end up behind bars.”
The post’s reference to “Little Kenny” (Ken Griffin) and “Dirty Dougie” (Doug Cifu) reflects the community’s belief that Gasparino is part of a broader network of market manipulators.
@chuggachiggins took a more confrontational tone on April 27, 2025, writing, “And that’s why stock basher/manipulator @CGasparino just deleted all his $mmtlp posts, who’s paying for your lawyer little chuckle??? @Dougielarge @FoxBusiness @nypost ???”
Another post by the same user accused Gasparino of “lying, bs, manipulative” writing and suggested he hire a lawyer, implying legal repercussions may loom.
On March 10, 2024, @stephmase22 announced filing a formal complaint with Fox Business, stating, “The way he conducts himself on Social Media is extremely unprofessional and an awful look for Fox Business.
Do you see @cvpayne ridiculing retail investors.”
The comparison to Charles Payne, another Fox Business personality known for engaging respectfully with retail investors, highlights the community’s view that Gasparino’s behavior is an outlier.
Bookmark: Trump Is Now Taking on Illegal Short Selling After Threat
A Pattern of Unprofessionalism
Gasparino’s career has been marked by a pugnacious style that, while effective in garnering attention, has often veered into unprofessional territory.
A 2016 Mediaite article detailed his habit of responding to Twitter critics with a photo of himself flexing post-workout, a tactic he used to deflect accusations of being “fat” or “weak.”
This juvenile approach to online discourse mirrors his interactions with retail investors, where mockery and insults often replace substantive debate.
His 2013 book, Circle of Friends: The Massive Federal Crackdown on Insider Trading—and Why the Markets Always Work Against the Little Guy, ironically positioned him as a defender of the “little guy,” yet his actions suggest otherwise.
Retail investors argue that Gasparino’s reporting consistently favors Wall Street’s elite, a charge supported by his dismissive attitude toward meme stock movements and retail-driven market events like the AMC and GameStop short squeezes.
Also Read: Trump Media Says Senator Warren Has Protected Hedge Funds and Naked Short Selling
A Reckoning for Gasparino?
The deletion of Gasparino’s MMTLP posts has galvanized retail investors, who see it as an admission of guilt or an attempt to evade accountability.
With screenshots preserving his inflammatory remarks and X serving as a platform for their outrage, the retail community is ensuring that Gasparino’s actions remain under scrutiny.
His ties to controversial Wall Street figures like Doug Cifu and Ken Griffin, combined with a track record of attacking retail investors, have eroded trust in his journalistic integrity.
As retail investors have suggested, the “walls” may indeed be closing in.
Whether this controversy leads to professional consequences for Gasparino or further escalates the rift between retail investors and financial media remains to be seen.
For now, the retail investor community is united in its call for accountability, using X to amplify their voices and demand that Fox Business address the unprofessionalism they believe Gasparino represents.
But I’m curious to know what you think — leave your thoughts below.
Back to Daily Market News.
Follow Frank Nez on X for more community insights.
Also Read: Investors now urge President Trump to investigate naked short selling in formal letter
Latest Market News
About The Author
