This Controversial AI Stock Could Shock Investors in 2026

Among the most controversial artificial intelligence (AI) stocks out there is AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP), which has been the subject of various short-seller reports accusing the company of various misdeeds. The most common accusation against it has been that it installs apps onto users' devices without their permission, which would be a violation of app store policies and could get its software banned from these platforms. However, nothing has ever materialized from these allegations, and AppLovin continued to post strong growth throughout 2025.However, the shorts haven't given up. A new short-seller, CapitalWatch, has become the fourth to call out AppLovin, accusing it of being heavily involved in money laundering tied to Chinese and Cambodian criminal syndicates. The short report says the company uses an "Ad-Spend-as-Laundering" model. It further claims that AppLovin illegally distributes gambling and fraudulent apps, secretly downloading them onto people's devices without user consent. While it's rare to see a company so relentlessly attacked, the stock does have its fans. Billionaire hedge fund manager Chase Coleman of Tiger Global Management holds a stake in AppLovin, as does billionaire Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management. Meanwhile, highly regarded investor Michael Lowenstein has more than a third of Kensico Capital's multibillion-dollar portfolio in the stock. It would be hard to imagine that these wealthy investors didn't do their due diligence. Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool