*By Kavitha Shastry*
Shares of Tesla ($TSLA) dropped more than 10 percent after hours Thursday after the SEC filed securities fraud charges against CEO Elon Musk.
In a complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, the agency said Musk either "knew or was reckless in not knowing" that a series of statements he made about taking his company private were false or misleading.
Elon Musk responded to the allegations in a statement to Cheddar saying, "This unjustified action by the SEC leaves me deeply saddened and disappointed. I have always taken action in the best interests of truth, transparency and investors. Integrity is the most important value in my life and the facts will show I never compromised this in any way."
The SEC's charges stemmed from a [tweet](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1026872652290379776) by Musk on August 7 that he had "funding secured" for a deal that would value the company at $72 billion. The post sent shares of the stock surging to 11-month highs, but an admission by Musk a few days later that he hadn't quite sealed a deal with a Saudi sovereign wealth fund ー followed by a [withdrawal](https://www.tesla.com/blog/staying-public) of his plans ー brought shares down as much as 35 percent.
Shortly after the first tweet, the SEC launched a probe into whether civil charges should be filed. In the actual lawsuit the agency is looking to bar Musk from serving as an officer or a director of any public company. The agency may also impose civil penalties and force him to pay back any "ill-gotten" gains he received from the stock's price fluctuations.
The Department of Justice is currently investigating whether to file criminal charges as well.
CEO and founder of Pinstripes Dale Schwartz shares his thoughts on taking the company public, why they're set for growth this year, and why he's not concerned about inflation weighing on the restaurant sector.
With hype continuing to build for A.I. projects, expert insight on what companies seem poised to benefit, plus how it will impact the lives of everyday consumers.
Ford says it’s reducing production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup vehicle as it adjusts to weaker-than-expected electric vehicle sales growth. The automaker said about 1,400 workers will be impacted by the move.
Walmart Inc. is raising the starting base pay for store managers, while redesigning its bonus plan that will put more of an emphasis on profits for these leaders.
Despite concerns about shipping delays in the Red Sea, RSM Chief Economist Joe Brusuelas says there are still reasons to be optimistic about the state of the U.S. economy.
Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Analyst at Wedbush Securities dives deeper into a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) that Apple has ended Samsung's 12-year reign as the world's largest smartphone seller.
Artificial intelligence is the biggest buzzword at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos. Advances in generative AI stunned the world last year, and the elite crowd is angling to take advantage of its promise and minimize its risks.
