Kevin Durant Bought Bitcoin in 2016 but Forgot the Password — Rich Kleiman Says Coins Still Untouched as Bitcoin Soars

Reported by COINOTAG via Afrotech on September 18, Rich Kleiman, the agent for NBA star Kevin Durant, disclosed that he assisted Durant in acquiring Bitcoin in 2016 by setting up a Coinbase account. Kleiman said the access credentials were subsequently misplaced and, to his knowledge, the Bitcoin holdings associated with that account have not been liquidated.

The episode underscores well-known custody risk in the crypto market: mismanaged passwords or private keys can effectively render digital assets inaccessible. Given that Bitcoin has experienced material appreciation since 2016, this case highlights the importance of rigorous key-management practices and institutional-grade custody solutions to mitigate counterparty and operational risk for high-net-worth individuals and athletes considering crypto allocations.