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Musk files to dismiss lawsuit over his purchase of Twitter shares | Musk files to dismiss lawsuit over his purchase of Twitter shares |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Elon Musk is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit by US regulators alleging he wrongly saved money by revealing he increased his initial investment in Twitter too late. | Elon Musk is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit by US regulators alleging he wrongly saved money by revealing he increased his initial investment in Twitter too late. |
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said in a January complaint that Musk failed to disclose that he had built up his stake in the company within the regulator's timeframe. | The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said in a January complaint that Musk failed to disclose that he had built up his stake in the company within the regulator's timeframe. |
It said this had allowed him to save about $150m (£123m) by purchasing shares in Twitter - which he bought outright months later and renamed X - at "artificially low prices". | It said this had allowed him to save about $150m (£123m) by purchasing shares in Twitter - which he bought outright months later and renamed X - at "artificially low prices". |
Musk's lawyers, filing shortly before the court's deadline for his response, called the lawsuit "a waste of this Court's time and taxpayer resources". | Musk's lawyers, filing shortly before the court's deadline for his response, called the lawsuit "a waste of this Court's time and taxpayer resources". |
"The SEC does not allege that Mr. Musk caused any investor harm. Rather, the SEC alleges that Mr. Musk late-filed a single beneficial ownership form three years ago, and fully corrected any alleged error immediately upon its discovery," they said in their Thursday filing. | "The SEC does not allege that Mr. Musk caused any investor harm. Rather, the SEC alleges that Mr. Musk late-filed a single beneficial ownership form three years ago, and fully corrected any alleged error immediately upon its discovery," they said in their Thursday filing. |
"There is no ongoing violation. There is no intent. There is no harm." | "There is no ongoing violation. There is no intent. There is no harm." |
In its January complaint, the SEC alleged that Musk violated US securities rules requiring investors to disclose within 10 days if their holdings in a company surpass 5%. | In its January complaint, the SEC alleged that Musk violated US securities rules requiring investors to disclose within 10 days if their holdings in a company surpass 5%. |
It said Musk should have revealed he had crossed the threshold for disclosure of shares by 14 March 2022, but he did not disclose it until 21 days after his purchase - on 4 April. | It said Musk should have revealed he had crossed the threshold for disclosure of shares by 14 March 2022, but he did not disclose it until 21 days after his purchase - on 4 April. |
"Musk's violation resulted in substantial economic harm to investors," it claimed. | "Musk's violation resulted in substantial economic harm to investors," it claimed. |
During a prior investigation by the SEC into Musk's purchase of Twitter, he gave two depositions - with mystery surrounding whether he appeared at a further interview. | During a prior investigation by the SEC into Musk's purchase of Twitter, he gave two depositions - with mystery surrounding whether he appeared at a further interview. |
When the SEC filed its lawsuit in January, Musk blasted the regulator as a "totally broken organisation" on social media and accused it of wasting its time. | When the SEC filed its lawsuit in January, Musk blasted the regulator as a "totally broken organisation" on social media and accused it of wasting its time. |
His lawyers' formal response, submitted on Thursday, also accused the SEC of targeting the executive in a "relentless pursuit". | His lawyers' formal response, submitted on Thursday, also accused the SEC of targeting the executive in a "relentless pursuit". |
"The Commission's selective enforcement against Mr. Musk - seeking monetary relief more than 1,500 times larger than the relief imposed on similarly situated individuals in similar cases - reveals an agency targeting an individual for his protected criticism of government overreach," it said. | "The Commission's selective enforcement against Mr. Musk - seeking monetary relief more than 1,500 times larger than the relief imposed on similarly situated individuals in similar cases - reveals an agency targeting an individual for his protected criticism of government overreach," it said. |
It said other investigations launched by the watchdog over the past seven years - including one in which he was eventually cleared by a jury of wrongdoing over a tweet about the future of Tesla's ownership - reflected "relentless scrutiny". | It said other investigations launched by the watchdog over the past seven years - including one in which he was eventually cleared by a jury of wrongdoing over a tweet about the future of Tesla's ownership - reflected "relentless scrutiny". |
The SEC declined to comment. | |
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