James Wynn’s $23 Million Wipeout Shows Why Retail Traders Keep Losing

James Wynn, once a high-profile trader on Hyperliquid, remains a lesson in risk for retail investors after losing over $23 million through a streak of high-leverage Bitcoin trades. His latest 40x short on BTC was fully liquidated within hours, highlighting how overconfidence and poor risk management can turn even seasoned traders into “exit liquidity. ” Wynn’s Relentless Leverage Backfires Data from Whale Insider shows that Wynn’s newest $124,000 Bitcoin short position at 40x leverage was liquidated on November 11. This brings his total PnL to -$23 source: https://beincrypto.com/james-wynn-bitcoin-trader-losses-2025/