Preston Pysh is a U.S. Army veteran, entrepreneur, and Bitcoin investor best known as co-founder of The Investor’s Podcast Network and a General Partner at Ego Death Capital, a Bitcoin-only venture fund. He gained a following for making difficult investing topics easier to understand, then did the same for Bitcoin after buying his first coin in 2015. He remains a widely followed voice on the debate over institutions buying Bitcoin.
Who Is Preston Pysh?
Preston Pysh graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He went on to Army Aviation Flight School, where he trained as a pilot on the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter and served as a commander with the 101st Airborne Division.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service during Operation Enduring Freedom. For more background on how figures like Pysh entered the space, check our crypto personalities hub.
After leaving active duty, Pysh shifted toward finance and investing, drawing heavily on Warren Buffett’s work. In 2010, he founded The Pylon Holding Company and its publishing arm, Pylon Publishing, and released his first book, “The Diary of a West Point Cadet.”
Pysh completed a Master of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2018. He first bought Bitcoin in 2015 at roughly $220 per coin, a purchase price he has referenced publicly when discussing his long-term view on the asset. He is based in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region.
Career and Contributions
Pysh co-founded The Investor’s Podcast Network with Stig Brodersen in 2013. The network’s flagship investing show, “We Study Billionaires,” has been recognized by outlets including Business Insider and CNBC as one of the leading investing podcasts, and Pysh separately hosts the network’s Bitcoin-focused spinoff, the Bitcoin Fundamentals Podcast.
He also founded BuffettsBooks.com, an educational platform built around Warren Buffett’s investing principles, and authored several books, including “Warren Buffett’s Three Favorite Books” and “The Warren Buffett Accounting Book.”
Since May 2022, Pysh has served as a General Partner at Ego Death Capital, a venture fund that invests exclusively in Bitcoin-focused startups, alongside fellow partners Jeff Booth, Lyn Alden, Nico Lechuga, and Andi Pitt. In August 2025, he was named a strategic advisor to Bitcoin Treasuries, a data platform tracking corporate and institutional Bitcoin holdings. He also advises the Bitcoin-focused companies Primal and Debifi.
Views and Positions
Pysh’s case for self-custody ties into the same concern he raises about corporate Bitcoin treasury companies: counterparty risk. He argues that holding your own private keys protects you from custodial failures and the risk of a government seizing funds held in one place, and he points to people who held onto their Bitcoin through steep price drops as the group most responsible for pushing the asset to where it is today.
On the August 22, 2025 episode of the Coin Stories podcast with Natalie Brunell, Pysh talked about the bearish mood hitting Bitcoin’s price and who he thought was behind the sell-off. He also spoke about why investors were upset over Strategy’s (MSTR) guidance change, explained what preferred stock is and why companies use it, and pointed out what he called warning signs in Bitcoin treasury companies. He ended the conversation by explaining why some people are still against Bitcoin.
Pysh also appeared on an episode of the What Bitcoin Did podcast, where he explained how Bitcoin treasury companies like Michael Saylor’s Strategy use preferred stock and convertible debt to buy Bitcoin, and warned against treating their shares as a substitute for holding Bitcoin directly. He also raised concerns about Strategy’s accounting, the risk of government nationalization, and why he still views self-custody as the best protection against those risks.
Preston Pysh in the News
In August 2025, Bitcoin Treasuries announced Pysh as a strategic advisor to the platform, which tracks corporate and institutional Bitcoin holdings. In the announcement, Pysh said transparent data is essential for Bitcoin adoption and that he was looking forward to supporting a platform used by public companies and investors to shape Bitcoin treasury strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are quick answers to what readers most often ask about Preston Pysh.
What did Preston Pysh do before Bitcoin?
Pysh served in the U.S. Army after graduating from West Point in 2003 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, training as an Apache helicopter pilot. After leaving the military, he moved into finance, founding BuffettsBooks.com and later co-founding The Investor’s Podcast Network in 2013.
When did Preston Pysh first buy Bitcoin?
Pysh has said he first purchased Bitcoin in 2015 at approximately $220 per coin. He has not disclosed how much Bitcoin he currently holds.
What companies is Preston Pysh involved with?
Pysh is a General Partner at Ego Death Capital, a Bitcoin-focused venture fund, and has been a strategic advisor to Bitcoin Treasuries since August 2025. He also advises Primal and Debifi and co-founded The Investor’s Podcast Network and BuffettsBooks.com.
Does Preston Pysh support Bitcoin self-custody?
Yes. Pysh has repeatedly advocated for individuals to hold their own Bitcoin private keys rather than rely on custodial third parties, citing risks such as institutional failures and potential government seizure of centrally held funds.
What books has Preston Pysh written?
Pysh founded Pylon Publishing and has authored several investing books, including “The Diary of a West Point Cadet,” “Warren Buffett’s Three Favorite Books,” and “The Warren Buffett Accounting Book.” His books focus on breaking down Warren Buffett’s investing principles for a general audience.
