Anthony DenierGroup President & U.S. CEO

I really was the first Webull employee in the U.S.—formed the LLC, hired the first person, and built from 2016/2017 to a public company. Staying close to product and clients and growing with the scale got me from startup founder to public company leader.

We target more sophisticated investors. Many customers use Webull as their third brokerage, not first, so we provide deeper data and tools. Launched in 2018 as zero-commission app-first without sacrificing functionality, attracting people who wanted savings plus a full-featured platform.

Retail once drank from a fire hose of information. They now know what is useful and what is noise, often using multiple platforms. Today they are normalized to data and tools and know which inputs are worth their time. Our job is to help them filter to actionable insights.

Vega looks at what a user follows and invests in, then surfaces relevant information in real time. It narrows the fire hose to a focused stream so clients see actionable insights at the right moment. The industry is moving toward less random data and more personalized context.

We stay nimble. New data and tech firms appear yearly. Sometimes we build for control; sometimes we partner if a solution is already strong. Being public gives us capital to partner or experiment quickly. The goal is flexibility and speed, not doing everything ourselves.

As a private CEO I was deep in daily operations. As a public CEO I step back more, trust the team, and spend more time with investors explaining our moves. That requires strong operators when I am not in the room and leadership focused on trust, communication, and long-term direction.

I do look at the stock price. The key is not to live on quarter-to-quarter moves. I judge on a yearly basis: did we deliver on promises by year-end? Our industry moves in longer cycles, so I focus on products and opportunities that move the needle over time, not daily ticks.

I keep Bloomberg and CNBC on, read market and flow emails daily, and use train commutes for podcasts, staying centered politically to hear both sides. It is about constant, balanced input rather than one source so I can guide the team and shareholders.

We bought a St. Petersburg building post-pandemic for operations, customer service, marketing, social, and some institutional work. About 250 people are there. Nearby universities, lower cost of living, and quality of life help recruit talent who do not want a four-hour New York commute, while front-office roles stay in New York.

We run 14 broker-dealers, 13 outside the U.S. Each market needs a real local team that defines the product, while we export the U.S. retail experience. Non-U.S. revenue was tiny three years ago; now it is significant and fast-growing, sometimes outpacing U.S. growth.

Non-U.S. clients are quickly converging with U.S. behaviour. If you are in Kuala Lumpur holding Nvidia, you watch the same news and Reddit threads as New York. Our UK business once thought no one would trade U.S. options; now it is the top revenue product. Mindsets are globalizing.

Shareholders are a mix: some users, some brokerage/fintech believers. Webull is still unknown to many, which is opportunity. Being public lets us tell our story and explain how we differ. Some clients already own the stock—a vote of confidence we hope grows.

Corporate Connect lets issuers talk directly with their retail shareholders. We approach companies where our clients hold shares and offer a structured, compliant channel. Retail is now a big part of their mix. It helps management tell their story and gives retail a real voice similar to institutions.

My pay is already highly levered to markets, so I avoid doubling down with heavy equity exposure. I stay conservative and like hard assets when possible. I also hold a significant personal stake in Webull, which is my top investment priority.

Top non-financial goal is trust—from clients and investors. I want true global investing: if we have São Paulo offices, U.S. clients should trade Brazilian stocks as easily as Brazilians trade U.S. stocks; tokenization will help. Innovation is another KPI: being first to new products while larger players turn slowly.

Fixed income often drives big market events—think 2008 or March 2020—so we launched Treasuries and corporate bonds for retail. Large AUM clients are not all in equities; to win wealth transfer you need strong fixed income tools. It is under-discussed but a big opportunity.

Scaling is hard on you and your family. Be clear on what you want to achieve and surround yourself with talented, hard-working people. There is no substitute for grinding every day. I ask employees to be in the office five days a week so we stay collaborative and push through setbacks. Do not be dismayed; keep grinding.