Who Is Michael Saylor and What Is His Bitcoin Strategy?

Who Is Michael Saylor?

Michael Saylor is one of the most influential and striking figures in the crypto world. Saylor is the cofounder and executive chairman of MicroStrategy (now Strategy), and he transformed himself from a tech entrepreneur into the world’s most well-known Bitcoin advocate. Through his frequent public appearances discussing Bitcoin and his large investments in the cryptocurrency, he earned the nickname “Mr. Bitcoin”.

Key Takeaways

• Michael Saylor is the cofounder of MicroStrategy (now Strategy) and one of the most well-known Bitcoin maximalists worldwide.
• In 2020 he changed his view on Bitcoin and began large scale investing as protection against inflation.
• Strategy built its position of roughly 650,000 BTC through bonds, convertible notes, and capital raises.
• Saylor views Bitcoin as the ultimate digital property and promotes it worldwide through media, conferences, and education.
• His strategy is praised for its vision but also criticized for high debt financing and risks during price declines.

Michael Saylor’s Background

Michael J. Saylor was born on February 4, 1965, in Lincoln, United States, and grew up in a military family. From a young age, discipline, strategy, and long term thinking played a central role. With an Air Force ROTC scholarship, he was able to study at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There he completed two majors, aerospace engineering and the history of science. Thanks to this analytical and mathematical foundation, he later applied these principles to entrepreneurship and eventually to his views on Bitcoin.

In 1989, Saylor founded the software company MicroStrategy together with his classmate Sanju Bansal. During the 1990s the company grew into an important player in business intelligence and data analytics. MicroStrategy continued to grow and was listed on the stock exchange in 1998. Though it was not always smooth sailing. In 2000 the company had to restate financial figures, leading to a sharp stock decline and a settlement with the SEC. Despite this setback, Saylor remained the head of the company and built MicroStrategy into one of the most recognized firms in the United States.

Michael Saylor Discovers Bitcoin

Today Michael Saylor is known as a true Bitcoin maximalist, but that was not always the case. He was skeptical about Bitcoin for a long time, but during the COVID-19 pandemic he became convinced. Due to the enormous amount of money creation by central banks, he became worried about the purchasing power of the dollar. He changed his view on Bitcoin and no longer saw it as a speculative investment but as a scarce digital asset that provides protection against inflation.

In August 2020, the Bitcoin chapter for MicroStrategy began when the company invested 250 million dollars in Bitcoin as part of its treasury reserve. This marked the start of an aggressive and unique strategy in which the company kept buying Bitcoin, even with borrowed money through convertible notes. Convertible notes are loans that can later be converted into shares of the company. After several years, MicroStrategy became the largest private Bitcoin holder in the world.

Strategy’s Bitcoin Positions

Strategy’s Bitcoin investments are some of the largest in history. While many companies take only small Bitcoin positions, Saylor is building a strategy fully focused on Bitcoin as a long term store of value, similar to the HODL mentality in the crypto space. Strategy achieved this through:

• issuing bonds and convertible notes
• repeated capital raises
• a long term plan to invest tens of billions

This has resulted in the largest corporate Bitcoin holding. As of November 2025, Strategy owns roughly 650,000 BTC. This means Strategy holds about 3 percent of the total maximum supply of Bitcoin. With such a massive position, Strategy is considered a true crypto whale in the market. Strategy is by far the largest corporate Bitcoin holder in the world.

Saylor’s Vision: Bitcoin as the Ultimate Store of Value

Michael Saylor sees Bitcoin as the most superior form of digital property ever created. He bases his vision on four key points:

• Bitcoin is digital gold, only better. It is scarce, borderless, instantly transferable, and cryptographically secured. Gold can wear down, be transported, or be confiscated. Bitcoin cannot.
• Fiat money inevitably loses value. Due to inflation and continuous money printing, Saylor views fiat currencies as “a melting ice cube”.
• Bitcoin is the ultimate store of value. Banks, governments, or companies cannot block, censor, or seize it.
• Energy usage is a strength. While critics point to Bitcoin’s energy consumption due to the Proof of Work consensus mechanism, Saylor sees it as proof of security and decentralization.

He often uses strong metaphors in his statements. He called Bitcoin “the apex property of humanity” and stated: “There is no second best”.

Saylor as a Bitcoin Ambassador

Michael Saylor is one of the most visible Bitcoin ambassadors in the world. He promotes Bitcoin as revolutionary technology in interviews, podcasts, conferences, and on social media. He also authored multiple books, such as The Mobile Wave, and runs educational programs through the Saylor Academy. Thanks to his strategy at Strategy, he influenced other companies and had a major impact on the Bitcoin market, accelerating institutional adoption.

Criticism of Michael Saylor

Michael Saylor is highly admired within the Bitcoin community, but there is also criticism of his strategy and convictions. The biggest criticism focuses on how Strategy finances its purchases and what could happen during strong price declines.

The first point of discussion is that Strategy borrows billions of dollars to buy Bitcoin. This type of debt financing can be risky because Strategy moves directly with the Bitcoin price. If Bitcoin drops significantly, the value of the reserves can temporarily fall below the outstanding debt. This does not lead to automatic liquidation but can eventually put pressure on the company’s balance sheet.

Additionally, Saylor’s company has one specific loan that often raises questions. It is a loan partially backed by Bitcoin as collateral. If the value of that collateral falls too far, the bank can ask for additional Bitcoin or cash to be deposited. This is called a “margin call”. Whereas the collateral of a normal trader on a crypto exchange gets liquidated immediately, Strategy gets the chance to provide more collateral. There is a lot of room for Strategy before this becomes an issue, since they have very large reserves. Still, it remains a risk during extreme or prolonged price declines.

Critics are also concerned about the strong connection between Saylor’s personal vision and the company’s strategy. Some believe his view on Bitcoin is too one sided. His many statements at conferences and online lead to division among some groups.

Despite the criticism, Saylor’s strategy has been successful so far, especially during bull markets where the value of his Bitcoin reserves rises sharply. Thanks to his high risk approach, he is one of the most talked about figures in the crypto world.

How Much Is Michael Saylor Worth?

According to Forbes, Michael Saylor’s net worth was estimated at 7.4 billion euros in March 2025, placing him among the richest individuals in the world. His wealth is closely tied to both the Bitcoin price and MSTR shares.

The Future of Saylor and Bitcoin

According to Saylor, Bitcoin is only at the beginning of global adoption. He expects Bitcoin to eventually become a worldwide standard for storing value. Compare it to gold, but far more efficient. With Strategy, he continues finding new ways to expand the company’s positions, regardless of short term volatility. The question is whether history will remember him as a visionary or a gambler. That ultimately depends on Bitcoin.

Final thoughts

Michael Saylor has grown into one of the most influential voices in the crypto world, with a clear impact on institutional Bitcoin adoption. While his strategy can be extremely successful during bull markets, the high level of debt financing also brings increased risks during periods of strong price declines. In the end, Saylor’s legacy will depend on Bitcoin’s long term development. If it becomes the global standard for storing value, he will be seen as a visionary. If Bitcoin remains volatile or fails, his strategy will likely be viewed as reckless.