eBay briefly suspends Ryan Cohen’s eBay seller account

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen’s personal eBay seller account was suspended two days after GameStop filed a $56 billion takeover bid for the online marketplace. The account was later reinstated and currently displays a 100% positive feedback rating.

Cohen had posted auctions for personal items, including a pair of socks and what he described as carpet from a GameStop store, and linked the listings to followers on X. He framed the listings as a public message about the hostile nature of the takeover offer.

A screenshot Cohen shared on X showed an eBay notice stating the account was “permanently suspended because of activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk.” eBay later restored Cohen’s seller profile and its feedback score.

GameStop offered $125 per share for eBay, structured roughly half in cash and half in GameStop stock. That price represented about a 20% premium to eBay’s prior close and about a 46% premium to its Feb. 4 close. Cohen has argued the combined company could use GameStop’s roughly 1,600 stores as drop-off and authentication points.

Questions about financing followed the offer. GameStop obtained a $20 billion financing letter from TD Bank. The company’s market value is near $11 billion compared with the $56 billion price tag. GameStop already holds an economic position in eBay of about 5% through a mix of derivatives and shares.

Market reaction was immediate: GameStop shares fell about 10% after the bid became public. Investor Michael Burry, who opened a long position earlier in the year, sold his entire stake the day after the offer surfaced. eBay’s board has declined to engage with the proposal so far; Cohen has indicated he is prepared to take the proposal directly to eBay shareholders if the board does not respond.

The suspension and subsequent reinstatement of Cohen’s seller account occurred amid an ongoing takeover campaign that includes the financing plan and public outreach tied to the offer.