US SEC Looking Into Musk’s Twitter Stake Purchase

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is looking into Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s disclosure of his stake in Twitter in early April, according to a letter the agency sent to him that month.

In the letter, now made public by the SEC, the regulator asks Musk why it appears he did not file required paperwork within 10 days of the acquisition, and also questions why, when Musk did disclose his stake, he used a form meant for passive investors while he was openly questioning Twitter’s policies around free speech.

Specifically, the SEC asked Musk to explain why he opted to initially file a “13G” disclosure form, which is meant for investors who plan to hold their shares passively instead of a “13D” form, which is for activist investors who intend influence management and policies of the company. He later amended the filing. Musk was offered a board seat shortly after his initial disclosure and has since gone on to attempt to buy the company outright in a $44 billion deal to take it private.

Spokespeople for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment.

Separately, Twitter said in a filing Friday it was not accepting the resignation of Egon Durban, a Musk ally, from its board. Two days earlier, Twitter shareholders had blocked his re-election, but the company said he brought “unparalleled operational knowledge of the industry” and instead he would reduce his board roles elsewhere.

Outside experts had previously said Musk’s late filing and apparently improper paperwork could attract the attention of the SEC, which has sparred with Musk in the past.

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