Key Points
- Musk to pay $1.5 million fine to settle SEC lawsuit over Twitter stake disclosure
- Settlement ends seven years of regulatory battles between Musk and SEC
- Fine is largest in SEC history for this type of disclosure violation
Elon Musk has settled a civil lawsuit filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over his delayed disclosure of an initial stake in Twitter, now known as X.
A trust in Musk’s name will pay a $1.5 million fine under the settlement disclosed on Monday in a Washington DC federal court.
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Musk did not admit wrongdoing. He will not have to return any of the $150 million he allegedly saved by delaying the disclosure.
The settlement requires approval by US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, who in February rejected Musk’s attempt to dismiss the case.
The resolution ends more than seven years of conflict between Musk and the regulator.
The disputes began in September 2018 when the SEC charged him with securities fraud for tweeting that he had secured funding to potentially take his electric car company Tesla private.
What the SEC alleged against Musk
In its January 2025 lawsuit, the SEC said Musk waited 11 days too long to reveal his initial 5 per cent stake in Twitter in late March and early April 2022.
The regulator argued this delay allowed him to buy more than $500 million worth of shares at artificially low prices before he finally disclosed a 9.2 per cent stake.
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The SEC had sought a civil fine and repayment of the $150 million Musk allegedly saved at the expense of unsuspecting investors.
Musk called the delay inadvertent and accused the SEC of violating his free speech rights by targeting him.
“Mr Musk has now been cleared of all issues related to the late filing of forms in the Twitter acquisition, as we said from the outset he would be,” his lawyer Alex Spiro said in a statement.
The SEC sued Musk six days before former US President Joe Biden left the White House and was replaced by Donald Trump.
Current SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has been refocusing the regulator’s enforcement priorities.
Settlement follows SEC enforcement chief’s exit
Both sides disclosed on 17 March that they were in talks to settle, one day after SEC enforcement chief Margaret Ryan abruptly left her position after just over six months.
Ryan’s departure followed clashes with other agency leaders over enforcement, according to people familiar with the matter.
Musk’s civil penalty is the largest in SEC history for the type of violation he was accused of, a person familiar with the settlement said.
The case is separate from a civil lawsuit in which a San Francisco jury held Musk liable on 20 March for defrauding Twitter shareholders after announcing the buyout.
Shareholders in that class action alleged Musk questioned whether Twitter was overrun by fake accounts in an effort to force a renegotiation of the takeover price or to exit the deal.
Musk completed the $44 billion Twitter purchase in October 2022. He later folded Twitter into his artificial intelligence company xAI, and subsequently merged xAI into his rocket company SpaceX.
Your Questions, Answered
Why was the SEC suing Elon Musk?
The SEC accused Musk of waiting 11 days too long to disclose his initial 5 per cent stake in Twitter in 2022, allowing him to buy additional shares at artificially low prices before revealing his full 9.2 per cent holding.
How much did Musk pay to settle the SEC lawsuit?
A trust in Musk’s name will pay a $1.5 million civil fine. This is the largest SEC penalty for this type of disclosure violation, though Musk was not required to return the $150 million he allegedly saved.
Did Musk admit wrongdoing in the settlement?
No. Musk did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. His lawyer said Musk has been cleared of all issues related to the late filing of forms in the Twitter acquisition.
What happens next after the SEC settlement?
The settlement requires approval by US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan. Separately, Musk faces a civil lawsuit in San Francisco where a jury found him liable for defrauding Twitter shareholders.