# Retail Investment Funds Claiming to Have Access to Stripe

Stripe is privately owned, and as such investment in Stripe stock is only available to a small number of investors, most of whom are well known to us.
We have become aware of certain investment funds that do not own any Stripe stock claiming to offer retail investors access to Stripe. The basic premise tends to be something like, “you can’t get direct access to Stripe, but invest in us and we will get it for you.” And yet, some firms that claim to have invested in Stripe do not actually have access to Stripe stock. If a fund claims to rely on “forward” contracts or other mechanisms that attempt to circumvent the rights of first refusal, transfer restrictions, and other terms and conditions applicable to investment in Stripe stock, their investments may have no value at all, as explained in Stripe Forward Contracts, Tokens, and Other Unauthorized Liquidity Transactions. We are similarly unable to provide any comfort that a fund that has invested indirectly in Stripe (such as through a special purpose vehicle) has a legitimate investment.
If you have concerns about a fund that is claiming to have access to Stripe stock and marketing that access to retail investors, please contact us at [legal-corporate-confidential@stripe.com](mailto:legal-corporate-confidential@stripe.com). 
If anyone is claiming to sell you shares of Stripe stock (vs. an investment in a fund that claims to own shares),  see Stripe shares or stock scams.