WORLD token rug pull allegations drag James Wynn back into controversy
For many traders following the situation, the unusually low payout became part of the story itself. Rug pulls in the memecoin sector typically target much larger sums, especially when linked to public figures with large online audiences. At the same time, the incident revived discussion around Wynns earlier controversies in crypto markets, particularly his history with leveraged trading and memecoin promotions. Earlier memecoin controversies resurface Back in October 2025, Wynn faced criticism after publicly promoting a BNB Chain memecoin called YEPE. Shortly after the token surged more than 400%, blockchain analytics platform Bubblemaps reported that insiders controlled roughly 60% of the supply. Days later, Bubblemaps said insider wallets had started selling large portions of their holdings, generating roughly $1.4 million in profits while still retaining more than half of the token supply. Wynn had previously shared the token address with followers on X while claiming “YEPE is flying” and that the “market has spoken.” Long before the WORLD token controversy, Wynn had already become one of the most polarizing personalities in crypto trading circles because of his extreme leverage positions on HyperLiquid. During the first half of 2025, Wynn regularly posted screenshots of oversized Bitcoin and memecoin trades using leverage reportedly as high as 40x. At one