Billionaire Philippe Laffont Sold 53% of Coatue's AMD Stake in Favor of an ETF Whose Underlying Asset Has Gained Nearly 165,000,000% in 15 Years

Core Insights - Coatue Management's billionaire investor Philippe Laffont has been selling shares of AMD for two years while increasing investments in the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF during the second quarter of 2025 [1][15]. Group 1: AMD Investment Activity - Laffont has significantly reduced Coatue's stake in AMD, from 13,974,624 shares at the midpoint of 2023 to 1,530,241 shares by June 30, 2025, representing a 53% reduction in the remaining stake during the second quarter [8][9]. - The selling of AMD shares is attributed to profit-taking, as Laffont's initial investments were made when AMD shares traded between $60 and $100, while much of the selling occurred when shares were priced between $100 and $200 [9][10]. - Concerns about AMD's competitiveness against Nvidia in AI-accelerated data centers are raised, as AMD's market share in this segment remains minimal compared to Nvidia's dominance [11]. Group 2: Bitcoin ETF Investment - Laffont purchased 56,508 shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, valued at approximately $3.5 million, indicating a strategic move into cryptocurrency investments [16]. - The underlying asset, Bitcoin, has experienced a staggering increase of nearly 165,000,000% over the past 15 years, making the ETF an attractive option for exposure to Bitcoin without direct ownership [17]. - The investment in Bitcoin is seen as a hedge against inflation, especially in light of the expanding U.S. money supply and the capped supply of Bitcoin at 21 million tokens [18].