Who is Bryan Kobel? Biotech CEO sues Uber after viral driver assault video

A shocking video of a cab driver assaulting a passenger named Bryan Kobel recently surfaced on social media. 

In the viral clip, the victim was seen holding his service dog when the accused approached and headbutted him. The Uber driver, identified as Vadim Uliumdzhiev, punched the passenger in the face and knocked him out before driving away. 

For those unaware, Bryan Kobel is the chief executive officer (CEO) of a biotech firm, TC BioPharm (TCBP). According to his LinkedIn profile, Kobel took the role in June 2021, while also being one of the company’s board observers since December 2020. 

The Charleston County-based executive was the managing director of EP Hutton, a capital marketing company rebranded from Kingswood Capital Markets. Bryan Kobel has also held top positions at firms like The Alberleen Group, R.F. Lafferty & Co., Alliance Advisors, and more. 

Kobel is also an alumnus of Franklin & Marshall College, which he attended between 1998 and 2002. The TCBP CEO also did his schooling at Don Bosco Prep. 

Bryan Kobel sues Uber months after a physical altercation with an illegal Russian driver

Illegal from Russia, who drives for Uber, assaulted a Biotech CEO in April in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.

Bryan Kobel (45) alleges he sustained a concussion from being attacked by Uliumdzhiev Vadim Nikolaevich (42).

Kobel is now suing Uber.pic.twitter.com/8xT48HyLp3

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) August 21, 2025

A cab driver was captured on camera while assaulting a biotech CEO while he held his service dog. According to Fox News, the physical altercation happened in a restaurant parking lot on King Street, Charleston, in April 2025. Bryan Kobel was left knocked out as the Uber driver drove away.

Citing Charleston County Sheriff’s Office records, Fox News reported that the driver, Vadim Uliumdzhiev, was arrested. He was charged with second-degree assault and battery before he was released on a $10,000 bond. According to Fox News, ICE detained Uliumdzhiev in Georgia and placed him on an immigration hold, Kobel’s attorneys confirmed. 

Months after the incident, Kobel filed a lawsuit against Uber on Monday, August 18. In a recent interview with Fox News, Bryan Kobel accused the ridesharing company of victim-blaming him and suspending his account after the incident. He also claimed that the accused driver picked up another ride after assaulting him in the parking lot. Kobel said: 

“This man violently assaults me, leaves me effectively bleeding out from my head in a parking lot, speeds off and picks somebody up two minutes later.” 

He added: 

“When I left the hospital, my account had been suspended, and within 48 hours, it had been deactivated. Despite me sharing hospital records, police records, the detective's name and phone number and images of the assault, Uber chose to effectively victim-blame me and vilify me.”

Kobel mentioned being told by the authorities that Uliumdzhiev operated on a fake driver’s license and was living illegally in the US. The biotech CEO continued criticizing Uber, as he said: 

“Riders rely on Uber to know who is behind the wheel. We’re seeking answers and accountability for how an undocumented individual using a fraudulent ID was able to access Uber’s platform, assault a passenger and flee. Publicly traded companies that profit from public trust must have screening and real-time identity systems that actually protect people.” 

Kobel’s lawyers have also accused Uber of letting “a wolf into the henhouse” and lambasted the company for its alleged negligence in “screening, hiring, and monitoring drivers.” They asserted: 

“They [Uber] allowed a man who was in a country illegally, a Russian national with a fake license, go through their background check and snake his way in and then have what was nothing more than a violent outburst for no reason.” 

According to Fox News, Bryan suffered a concussion and a head laceration and received seven staples. The witnesses recounted that Kobel also bled badly at the scene of the incident, before he was taken to MUSC Health University Medical Center.