DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

The plea deals end a years-long investigation into the crypto exchange. Binance holds around $2.8 billion worth of BNB tokens, according to Nansen. Binance remains the world's largest crypto exchange globally, processing billions of dollars in trading volume every year. "This, combined with the likely imminent approval of an ETF based on bitcoin quotes, could positively impact the crypto market in the long term," said Drozdz. Binance has agreed to forfeit $2.5 billion to the government and to pay a fine of $1.8 billion.

Persons: Binance's, Changpeng Zhao, Ben Mcshane, Sportsfile, Nansen, Binance, Grzegorz Drozdz, Bitcoin, Drozdz, Zhao, Yesha Yadav, Milton R, Underwood, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Richard Teng, Teng, Janet Yellen, Al, Yellen Organizations: Getty, Department of Justice, ., SEC, Conotoxia, CNBC, DOJ, Vanderbilt University, Justice Department, U.S, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Binance, Futures Trading Commission, Treasury Department, The Securities, Exchange Commission, ISIS Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Binance, Nansen, U.S, Abu Dhabi

Just this week, the SEC sued Kraken, another crypto exchange, alleging that it is operating as an unregistered securities exchange. Binance is exiting the US as part of the agreement the crypto exchange made with law enforcement agencies. That also includes the Justice Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission , and the Treasury Department. There is even a National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team within the Justice Department actively identifying and investigating criminal cases involving digital assets. That is precisely how the feds secured the first ever corporate settlement with a crypto exchange.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Zhao, Binance, Brian Armstrong, Coinbase, ” Armstrong, “, General Merrick Garland, ” Changpeng Zhao, Anthony Kwan, cryptocurrencies, ethereum, Bitcoin, ’, it’s, Ethereum, Treasury Department —, Kraken, Tiffany Hagler, ” Garland, Lisa Monaco, Tuesday’s presser, “ I’ve, Benham Organizations: New, New York CNN, Justice Department, Bloomberg, Getty, Washington DC, US Department of Justice, Department of Justice, Treasury, Securities and Exchange Commission, Treasury Department, SEC, Geard, Futures Trading Commission, Cryptocurrency, feds Locations: New York, United States, Binance, Washington, U.S, “, rulemaking

☆ What the Binance settlement means for crypto investors—and why it could clear the path for a bitcoin ETF
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Industry insiders are cheering the end of a "CZ"-led Binance as a necessary move for crypto going forward. Some say it was perhaps even critical for what could be the next big step for the industry: the approval of a bitcoin ETF. Having this settlement behind us could be the final big, big step needed for this ETF." The crypto industry has long sought the creation of a bitcoin ETF (efforts to launch one go back at least a decade). "Binance is globally the major liquidity pool for crypto trading despite losing market share this year," she said.

Persons: Zhao, Binance, –, Franklin Templeton, Michael Rinko, Sam Bankman, Fried, Rinko, Sam Callahan, Callahan, Yesha Yadav Organizations: Industry, Department of Justice, –, Fidelity, Delphi, Securities, Exchange Commission, Binance, CZ, DOJ, Futures Trading Commission, Treasury Department, BlackRock, Invesco, Ark, Vanderbilt University Law School Locations: BlackRock

☆ US lawmakers ask SEC to scrutinize Musk comments on Neuralink
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Marisa Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Neuralink logo and Elon Musk photo are seen in this illustration taken, December 19, 2022. Yet Musk, Neuralink's CEO, downplayed investor concerns about the results of its animal testing, the letter said. Musk wrote that "no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant," in a post to his social media site, X, on Sept. 10. Neuralink did not respond to requests for comment on the letter to the SEC. As a result, Musk's statement "may have violated" SEC rules in denying a connection, the lawmakers wrote.

Persons: Elon, Dado Ruvic, Elon Musk, Earl Blumenauer of, Jim McGovern, Barbara Lee, Tony Cardenas, Musk, Neuralink, Marisa Taylor, Michele Gershberg, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Securities and Exchange Commission, Democratic, Reps, Massachusetts, SEC, Reuters, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Tony Cardenas of California

☆ Binance was slapped with a $4.3 billion fine because it let groups like Hamas and ISIS receive funds: Treasury Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The treasury department says the company enabled transactions from Hamas, the Islamic State, and Al Qaeda. The treasury department said Binance failed to report over 100,000 suspicious transactions involving terrorist groups, ransomware, child sexual exploitation material, and scams. Lim had been told about "HAMAS transactions," and responded by saying that terrorists often send "small sums" of money because "large sums constitute money laundering," the CFTC complaint said. Advertisement"I HAZ NO CONFIDENCE IN OUR GEOFENCING," Lim was told by a Binance employee, who was tasked with reporting money laundering, the complaint said. The justice department opened an investigation into Binance's compliance with anti money laundering law in 2018.

Persons: Binance, —, Samuel Lim, Lim, Zhao, Merrick Garland, Richard Teng —, Binanace, Yesha Yadav Organizations: Service, Zhao, Brigades, Hamas, Islamic, Futures Trading, AK, New York Times, Vanderbilt University, Reuters, Futures Trading Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Islamic State, Al Qaeda, Iraq, Syria

Industry practice suggests that a large share of hedge funds trading in repo markets put up zero collateral, meaning they are fuelling activity using enormous amounts of cheap debt. A looming rule by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission would expand the use of central clearing in the cash Treasury and repo market. SEC chair Gary Gensler recently promoted the benefits of central clearing and pointed to data showing high levels of repo trades transacted at zero haircuts. James Tabacchi, CEO of South Street Securities, called zero haircuts a "race to the bottom" and not healthy for markets. However, some market participants have voiced concerns that some of the proposed reforms could be a hurdle for some investors, potentially undermining the goal to improve liquidity and resilience in the Treasury market.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Christopher Clarke, Gary Gensler, James Tabacchi, Richard Chambers, Goldman Sachs, Davide Barbuscia, Megan Davies, Paritosh Bansal, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Industry, repo, North America Sovereign Financing, Morgan Securities, Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of New, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Corporation, SEC, . Federal Reserve, South Street Securities, Goldman, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado, Treasuries, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Carolina

The group usually has one active case against financial regulators, but currently has two against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and one against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), he said. To be sure, the financial regulators have been sued many times during previous administrations, including by pro-reform advocacy groups. "There are some financial regulators that are walking right into it," he added. In September, for example, bank groups accused regulators including the Federal Reserve of violating the APA with a new capital rule. According to research by Wharton School professor David Zaring, neither industry groups nor individual lenders have filed more than one suit over the past decade challenging Fed policymaking.

Persons: Jim Bourg, Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump's, Tom Quaadman, Jack Inglis, CFPB, Dennis Kelleher, Trump, Eugene Scalia, Gibson Dunn, Scalia, Antonin Scalia, Rebeca Romero Rainey, David Zaring, Kelleher, Douglas Gillison, Chris Prentice, Pete Schroeder, Nate Raymond, Jody Godoy, Megan Davies, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democratic, Republican, Reuters, APA, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Funds, Alternative Investment Management Association, Fifth Circuit, Appeals, Better Markets, Biden, American Bankers Association, Labor, Supreme, Independent Community Bankers of, Federal, Wharton School, Thomson Locations: Washington, Independent Community Bankers of America

☆ New York City investment chief calls on Tesla to sanction Musk unless he apologizes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Lander's remarks make him the latest Tesla shareholder to call on the EV maker to rein in Musk. Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 15. It remains unclear whether Tesla's board will take any action. If Musk fails to do so, Tesla's board should consider actions such as docking his pay, suspending him or terminating him, Lander added. He wrote to Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm on Monday that failing to take action would show Tesla's code of business ethics to be "toothless."

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Rishi Sunak, Kirsty Wigglesworth, Brad Lander, Lander, Lander's, Ross Gerber, Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Robyn Denholm, Henry Ford, Nazism, Kristin Hull, Nia, Tesla's, Ross Kerber, David Gaffen, Sheila Dang, Greg Roumeliotis, Matthew Lewis Organizations: British, New York, Reuters, Nia Impact, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SpaceX, Boring Company, Ford Foundation, White, Media, America, Defamation League, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, New, New York City, New York, Dallas

Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance, speaks at the Blockchain Week Summit in Paris, France, on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Binance chief Changpeng Zhao will plead guilty to criminal charges and step down as the company's CEO as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, according to court documents. The plea arrangement with the government resolves a multi-year investigation into the world's largest crypto exchange. The Securities and Exchange Commission targeted the company with an expansive lawsuit in June, alleging that Binance was running an illegal securities exchange and mishandling customer funds. To this day, Binance remains the world's largest crypto exchange globally, processing billions of dollars in trading volume every year.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Brian Tsuchida, Binance, Kraken, Gary Gensler, wasn't, Samuel Lim, —, ada, Kevin Breuninger Organizations: Department of Justice, Justice Department, DOJ, Emergency Economic, U.S, CNBC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Authority Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Seattle, Iran, Cayman Islands

The market reaction reflects an expectation that a $4 billion payment would be manageable for Binance, four crypto investors and market participants said. Its status has for years left investors wary of risks to the wider market from a string of regulatory and legal headaches facing Binance. Any resolution of the DOJ probe would remove the risk to the crypto market of Binance's sudden collapse, said Sui Chung, CEO of crypto index provider CF Benchmarks. "Binance disappearing overnight remains a potential systemic risk to the crypto market," Chung said. Other investors cited the personal wealth of Zhao as being sufficient to cover any settlement with the DOJ.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bitcoin, Binance, Anatoly Crachilov, Crachilov, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Sui Chung, Chung, Tom Wilson, Elizabeth Howcroft, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Bloomberg, Reuters, London, Asset Management, DOJ, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Assets Fund, Thomson Locations: Binance, London

☆ Cryptocurrencies dip as investors digest regulatory updates from industry heavyweights Binance, Kraken
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Founder and CEO of Binance Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as "CZ", attends the "CZ meets Italy" at Palazzo Brancaccio on May 10, 2022 in Rome, Italy. The move weighed on the rest of the crypto market. Earlier in the day the coin rose as much as 5% with hopeful investors eager to see the multi-year investigation into the world's largest crypto exchange resolved. Cryptocurrencies were slightly lower Tuesday, as investors weighed a batch of regulatory updates from Washington involving some of the biggest names in crypto: Binance, Kraken and Tether. Investors were all weighing news from another major crypto exchange: Kraken.

Persons: Zhao, Palazzo Brancaccio, Ripple's XRP, Solana, Uniswap, bitcoin, Changpeng Zhao, James Butterfill Organizations: CZ, U.S . Department of Justice, Binance, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Italy, Palazzo, Rome, Washington, Southeast Asia

☆ Celsius Network pivots to bitcoin mining after bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Celsius Network logo and representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration taken, June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Crypto lender Celsius Network has scaled back its post-bankruptcy business plans to focus only on bitcoin mining, citing U.S. regulators' skepticism of its other planned business lines. A U.S. bankruptcy court in Manhattan had approved Celsius' Chapter 11 plan on Nov. 9, clearing the company to return cryptocurrency to customers and create a new company owned by Celsius creditors. The SEC did not definitively say during Celsius' bankruptcy case whether the new company's business plans would violate U.S. law, but it reserved the right to make that determination later. Bitcoin mining was always meant to be the "core business" of the new company, Celsius said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, BlockFi, Dietrich Knauth, Alexia Garamfalvi, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities & Exchange Commission, SEC, Arrington Capital, Bitcoin Corp, Voyager, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, New Jersey

Binance is also expected to expected to plead guilty to the charges. Zhao, the founder and CEO of Binance, has amassed a fortune that Bloomberg pegs at more than $23 billion. This alleged misconduct paved the way for Binance to become king of the crypto exchanges, prosecutors allege. Prosecutors allege Binance, “knowingly failed” to register as a money service business, willfully violated the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement and maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and willfully caused violations of US economic sanctions. The SEC also alleged that Zhao and Binance commingled customer assets and even diverted some to an entity controlled by Zhao.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, General Merrick Garland, Janet Yellen, laundered, “, ” Binance Organizations: New, New York CNN —, CNN, Bloomberg, Wall Street, Treasury, Prosecutors, Court, Western, of, ” Prosecutors, Binance, The Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Locations: New York, of Washington, Canadian, United States, America

☆ A former venture capitalist known as Silicon Valley's 'party animal' has been convicted in a $19 million fraud case
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Michael Rothenberg became known for his rapid rise to success with his VC firm, Rothenberg Ventures. But this week he became yet another Silicon Valley star to be convicted of fraud. AdvertisementA once high-flying Silicon Valley venture capitalist, whose partying lifestyle inspired an HBO show, has been convicted of committing fraud amounting to $18.8 million. Rothenberg first rose to prominence in 2013 after raising $5 million for his venture capital management fund, Rothenberg Ventures, aged just 27. But in 2016, Rothenberg Ventures collapsed after admitting to investors it was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Persons: Michael Rothenberg, Rothenberg, —, Chace Crawford's, Vox Organizations: Rothenberg Ventures, Service, HBO, US, Office, Northern, Northern District of California, Bloomberg, Rothenbergs Ventures, Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, Golden Globes, TechCrunch, Rothenberg's, T, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Wired, River Studios, Coldplay, Valley Bank Locations: Silicon, California, Northern District, Napa Valley, Hollywood, San Francisco

☆ US SEC sues Kraken crypto exchange over failure to register
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kraken cryptocurrency exchange logo is seen in this illustration taken July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - Kraken, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, was sued on Monday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused it of illegally operating as a securities exchange without first registering with the regulator. In June, the SEC filed similar lawsuits against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and Coinbase, the largest in the United States. Monday's lawsuit seeks a civil fine, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and a halt to acting as a crypto exchange without registering. The case is SEC v Payward Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gary Gensler's, Kraken, Gurbir Grewal, Binance, Jonathan Stempel, Chris Prentice, David Gregorio, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Payward Inc, Payward Ventures Inc, Blockchain, Digital Currency Group, Hummingbird Ventures, Tribe Capital, Payward, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: San Francisco federal, United States, San Francisco, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

☆ US seeks more than $4 billion from Binance to end criminal case -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | October | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. Negotiations between the Justice Department and Binance include the possibility that the cryptocurrency exchange's founder, Changpeng Zhao, would face criminal charges in the United States, the report said. The Bloomberg report said an announcement on the resolution could come as soon as the end of this month. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment. The DOJ probe is one of a string of legal and regulatory headaches the world's biggest crypto exchange faces in the United States.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Changpeng Zhao, Sam Bankman, Binance, Zhao, Niket, Tom Wilson, Chris Prentice, Arun Koyyur, Maju Samuel, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Binance Holdings, Bloomberg, Justice Department, Binance, Reuters, DOJ, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru, London, New York

This raised doubts over whether SEC rules would survive a court challenge. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment on Scope 3 emissions and when the climate disclosure rules will be finalized. Even some advocates of climate action have expressed concerns about the logistical challenges of accurately calculating Scope 3 emissions. For many businesses, however, Scope 3 emissions represent more than 70% of their carbon footprint, according to consulting firm Deloitte. Some voluntary initiatives such as the International Sustainability Standards Board already specify that it is best practice to disclose Scope 3 emissions.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Gary Gensler, Joe Biden's, Biden, Gensler, Jarrett Renshaw, Douglas Gillison, Isla Binnie, Chris Prentice, Ross Kerber, Simon Jessop, Michelle Price, Greg Roumeliotis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Union, Republican, Commission, Democrat, Deloitte, Gensler, Republican SEC, Sustainability, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, CALIFORNIA, California, Washington, New York, Boston, London

☆ This key element of ESG investing could drive real change at companies and boost returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The social pillar of the environmental, social and corporate governance investing framework — known as ESG in short — has been dubbed the "middle child" largely due to data challenges. For years, the social pillar has been considered relatively nebulous and hard to quantify. And it comes despite the fact that the ESG investing framework has found itself in hot water politically. In these cases, she said the social pillar comes into play in ensuring a carbon transition is equitable and just. A fraught environmentGlobally, it appears social themes will become more clear and important to investors over time.

Persons: Michael Nagle, ESG, Michael Young, Young, They're, Marian Macindoe, Insperity, Fuller, Macindoe, that's, Yijia Chen Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Sustainable Institute, BNP, Securities and Exchange, Commission, Parnassus Investments, Irrational Capital, Microsoft, Apple, Apple Hospitality, Calvert Research, Management Locations: New York, U.S, United States, Harbor, ESG

☆ Trump's fraud trial defense has featured 1 son, 2 pals, and an expert who noted 'glaring' math snafus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Donald Trump Jr. in court for his family's civil fraud trial in New York. AP Photo/Phelan M. EbenhackThe first defense expert witness: a Trump mega-donorThe third defense witness to take the stand, developer Steven Witkoff, was, like Donald Trump, Jr., hardly an objective source of testimony. But on Tuesday he became Trump's first expert witness, in the field of real estate valuation. His multi-billion-dollar brokerage firm, Lockton Companies, earned $1.2 million last year as Trump's insurance broker, he said. He said he didn't have a real estate license — he doesn't need one to be a broker, he explained.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Donald Trump , Jr, Junior, Donald Trump Jr, David Dee Delgado, Christopher Kise, Trump, Kise, Phelan M, Ebenhack, Steven Witkoff, Witkoff, Trump's, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Jason Flemmons, Flemmons, James, Flemmons flubbed, Steven Laposa, Laposa, LIV, Timothy A, Clary, Gary Giulietti, Giulietti Organizations: Trump, Service, New, AP, Republican, Woolworth, Supreme, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Getty, Lockton Companies, Zurich Insurance Group Locations: New York, Manhattan, Trump, New Jersey

☆ X fails in court to terminate FTC privacy order or block Musk’s deposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The 11-page order by US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixon denies X’s attempt to invalidate a longtime privacy settlement with the FTC that forms the basis for the investigation. For the same reason, Hixon said he could not block the FTC from trying to depose Musk as part of the probe. Questions about whether the company has complied with the 2011 order arose in a significant way in 2022. And the investigation has only intensified since Musk’s takeover of the company, prompting X to protest what it has called government overreach and harassment of Musk. The FTC has said that it is attempting to carry out its mission to ensure X is complying with its legal obligations.

Persons: Elon Musk, Judge Thomas Hixon, Hixon, Musk, Musk’s, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, X, X didn’t Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Court, Northern, Northern District of, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Twitter, FTC Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ An options trade that wins if Nvidia moves big on earnings in either direction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jeff Kilburg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nvidia straddle A long NVDA straddle pays off when volatility increases and the price of the underlying moves by a significant amount, but it doesn't matter whether it's to the upside or the downside. The profit potential is virtually unlimited, so long as the price of the underlying security moves very sharply. Nine percent is the implied volatility going into earnings, that sets the pricing of these options. If you are long NVDA outright, you may want to consider a different and more protective approach (covered call or owning puts, etc.). DISCLOSURES: Long straddle and stock, firm long stock THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY .

Persons: OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT, Nvidia's, NVDA Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia

☆ Disgraced Nikola founder's argument for why he should avoid jail: He's no Elizabeth Holmes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trevor Milton's lawyers say he should avoid prison because his fraud conviction is not like that of Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was convicted on charges that she defrauded investors in blood-testing company Theranos. Milton was convicted on charges that he duped investors with exaggerated claims about zero-emission Nikola trucks. Court officials have calculated federal sentencing guidelines to recommend between 17 1/2 years and 22 years in prison, although Milton's lawyers object to the calculations, saying they substantially overstate the seriousness of the crimes. "Unlike Holmes, Trevor never put Nikola's customers at risk, whereas Holmes touted and used blood-testing technology that she knew to be unreliable, thus putting human beings at medical risk," the lawyers said.

Persons: Trevor, Elizabeth Holmes, Holmes, Milton, —, truckmaker Nikola, Trevor Milton, nastiness, Nikola, Milton's, Nikola — Organizations: Service, truckmaker, truckmaker Nikola Corp, Wall, The Associated Press, General Motors Corp, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nikola Locations: Manhattan, tatters, Utah, Arizona

☆ Rio Tinto to pay $28 million fine to settle US SEC fraud case
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Rio Tinto logo is displayed above the global mining group's booth at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 7, 2023. Former chief executive Tom Albanese agreed to pay a $50,000 civil fine to settle related SEC claims. Neither he nor Rio Tinto admitted wrongdoing. Rio Tinto confirmed the settlement but declined additional comment. The case is SEC v Rio Tinto Plc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Analisa Torres, Rio, Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto, James Loonam, Guy Elliott, Torres, Riversdale, Albanese, Theodore Wells, Wells, Jonathan Stempel, Bill Berkrot, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Rio Tinto, Developers Association of Canada, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, U.S, District, SEC, Rio Tinto Coal, Tinto, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Rio, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, U.S, Mozambique, Manhattan, Rio Tinto, Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Digital wealth management provider Wealthfront, a pioneer in automated investing, now oversees more than $50 billion in assets and is set to grow revenue by more than 140% this year, the company said on Thursday. Wealthfront was founded in 2008 by Andy Rachleff and Dan Carroll and launched automated investing services in 2011. It is a pioneer in using artificial intelligence to craft low-cost investment portfolios for Americans. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently proposed a rule aimed at managing how AI is used to provide investment advice. "We're trying to take the best investment advice that we can through academic research and make that available at low cost to as many clients as we possibly can," he said.

Persons: Wealthfront, David Fortunato, Fortunato, Andy Rachleff, Dan Carroll, Hannah Lang, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Wealthfront, UBS, Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Google, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ US SEC presses judge to force Elon Musk to testify in Twitter probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

In a document filed in federal court in San Francisco on Thursday, the SEC defended its efforts to compel Musk's testimony, saying agency officials are acting within their authority. The SEC last month said it was investigating Musk's 2022 purchases of stock in Twitter -- which Musk subsequently renamed X -- and his statements and SEC filings relating to his takeover of the social media giant. Musk had refused to attend a September interview for the probe, the SEC said. Musk and his lawyers on Nov. 2 asked the judge to deny the SEC's motion to compel his testimony, saying Musk had already testified twice and that the agency was exceeding its authority. But the SEC on Thursday rejected those claims, saying agency officials are indeed granted authority by law to seek testimony and documents as they pursue their investigative work.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Musk, Chris Prentice, Michelle Price Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, U.S, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, San Francisco

Search resuls for: "Exchange Commission"

25 mentions found