Bang Si-hyuk’s investigation is becoming severe after a viral online claim alleged that the HYBE chairman replaced two phones before police questioning in September. Reports said he donated 160,000 HYBE shares as the company’s IPO investigation continues to intensify.
Why Bang Si-Hyuk is Donating His Shares
On April 22, 2026, news broke that HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk is giving 160,000 of his own shares, worth about 40 billion won, back to the company. This happened right after he gave away 710,000 shares last month.
While HYBE states these shares are for employee rewards and stock programs. But experts assume that Bang is actually doing this to look like a responsible leader and keep investors from panicking. By putting his own money back into the company, he hopes to protect HYBE’s reputation and calm public anger while the investigation continues. Still, the phone allegation remains just that, an unverified allegation. There is currently no confirmed public evidence, and none of the established reports on the case have substantiated it.
What Are The Allegations On Bang
According to reports from Reuters, police are investigating Bang Si-hyuk for alleged illegal trading connected to HYBE’s initial public offering. In 2019, while the company was still known as Big Bang Entertainment, Bang intentionally misled shareholders.
By claiming there were no immediate plans to go public or that any potential listing would be significantly delayed. By convincing investors that a market debut was far off, he allegedly persuaded them to sell their shares early at a lower valuation. Authorities suspect that these shares were then acquired by a private equity fund financed by HYBE executives.
Reports from NBC News Bang was promised approximately 30% of the profits once the company eventually listed at a much higher price. Investigators estimate that Bang earned roughly ₩190 billion in personal profit, equivalent to about $136 million.
HYBE’s Official Statement
Reports say Bang Si Hyuk has been under a travel ban since August 2025. Now the case is escalating again. On April 21, 2026, Seoul police requested an arrest warrant, making it one of the biggest HYBE news yet.
We regret that an arrest warrant has been requested despite our client’s long-standing [and consistent] cooperation with the investigation over an extended period. We will continue to fully comply with all legal procedures and do our utmost to present our case [and clearly explain our position].