• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

2

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

3

Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX

1

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

2

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

3

Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX

Tesla Stock Plunges After SEC Sues Elon Musk for ‘False and Misleading’ Statements about Taking Tesla Private

By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2018, 5:55 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Tesla shares plunged 14% late Thursday after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit Thursday that accuses Tesla CEO Elon Musk of making “false and misleading” statements on Twitter about his plans for taking Tesla private.

Tesla closed down 0.7% at $307.52 a share during official trading Thursday, and plunged 14% to $265.55 in after-hours trading on the news late Thursday.

A complaint filed by the SEC in a federal court in New York said that Musk “falsely indicated that, should he so choose, it was virtually certain that he could take Tesla private at a purchase price that reflected a substantial premium over Tesla stock’s then-current share price, that funding for this multi-billion dollar transaction had been secured, and that the only contingency was a shareholder vote.”

Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018

The SEC maintains that those statements weren’t accurate. “In truth and in fact, Musk had not even discussed, much less confirmed, key deal terms, including price, with any potential funding source,” the complaint said. Musk, the SEC alleged, “knew or was reckless in not knowing” that his tweets weren’t in fact true.

Adding to mounting concerns surrounding Tesla in recent months, the SEC lawsuit is only one of several regulatory headaches for the company. The SEC is also looking into Tesla’s projections of car-production volumes, according to Bloomberg, while the Justice Department is also looking into whether Musk’s tweets misled investors.

In a press conference discussing the lawsuit, Stephanie Avakian, co-director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, said Musk’s tweets led investors to think it was a “virtual certainty” that Tesla would be taken private at $420 a share. “We allege that he did not even discuss key deal details, including pricing,” with any potential investors who could help take Tesla private, she said.

The complaint says Musk chose the $420 a share price in an almost cavalier manner. Calculating that a 20% premium over Tesla’s price on Aug. 7 would value Tesla at $419 a share, Musk upped the figure by a dollar because of the significance of the number 420 to cannabis culture. Musk thought his girlfriend “would find it funny, which admittedly is not a great reason to pick a price,” he is quoted as saying in the complaint.

Musk’s false and misleading statements not only violated the 1934 Securities Exchange Act, the complaint alleged, but “unless restrained and enjoined [Musk] will violate again.” Asked by reporters about why the felt he would violate securities law again, SEC officials declined to offer any further comment.

In a statement issued by Tesla, Musk said he was “saddened and disappointed” by what he called an “unjustified action” by the SEC.

About the Author
By Kevin Kelleher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Top CD rates from major banks June 17, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 17, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
1 hour ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Abhinav Agarwal and Jenny Duan
Startups & VentureBiotech
Exclusive: A 21-year-old Stanford grad just raised $11 million to put a hormone lab on your wrist
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Karta founders Orlando Espinoza and Freddy Juez smile at the camera while holding up Karta cards.
Startups & VentureCompanies
Exclusive: Karta raises $15 million to bring WhatsApp-run U.S. credit cards to global travelers
By Camila Grigera NaónJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
An executive team together in a conference meeting room in contemporary modern office.
NewslettersCFO Daily
CFO pay surged 8% last year—and long-term incentives now account for 63% of the average package
By Sheryl EstradaJune 17, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
Success
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
By Preston ForeJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.