Simmons Regains Stake in Celsius Energy Drinks Following Federal Case
Russell Simmons has regained access to a portion of nearly 10 million Celsius Holdings shares held by the U.S. Department of Justice, tied to the prosecution of former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner. The shares are currently valued at over $350 million in total, though the exact percentage Simmons receives was not disclosed. Court filings show Simmons agreed to use the stock first to pay creditors, including over $11 million in past-due settlements to six women as of 2025.
Simmons’s stake stems from a 2015 joint purchase with his ex-wife and her future husband, totaling $3 million for 3.3 million shares. A 2023 stock split tripled that count, and with Celsius trading at $35.40 per share, the DOJ-held block now exceeds $350 million. The shares were forfeited after Leissner’s guilty plea in the 1MDB scandal, where he used them as bail collateral.
Court filings show Simmons must prioritize creditors, including over $11 million in past-due settlements to six women as of 2025, with at least $8.6 million earmarked from the recovered stock. The exact percentage of shares returned to Simmons remains undisclosed, and his ex-wife still claims nearly 900,000 shares she says she funded independently.
This resolution could reshape public perception of accountability in celebrity finance, as Simmons’s regained assets are legally tied to settling misconduct claims. Creditors and accusers may see tangible progress, potentially influencing how similar cases are negotiated. However, the undisclosed share split leaves uncertainty about whether full restitution occurs, and the case’s complexity—mixing fraud, divorce, and forfeiture—may prompt broader scrutiny of how courts prioritize competing claims in high-profile asset recoveries.