SEC Issues Largest-Ever Whistleblower Award

Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - May 5, 2023) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the largest-ever award, nearly $279 million, to a whistleblower whose information and assistance led to the successful enforcement of SEC and related actions. This is the highest award in the SECs whistleblower programs history, more than doubling the $114 million whistleblower award the SEC issued in October 2020.

"The size of todays award the highest in our programs history not only incentivizes whistleblowers to come forward with accurate information about potential securities law violations, but also reflects the tremendous success of our whistleblower program," said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SECs Division of Enforcement. "This success directly benefits investors, as whistleblower tips have contributed to enforcement actions resulting in orders requiring bad actors to disgorge more than $4 billion in ill-gotten gains and interest. As this award shows, there is a significant incentive for whistleblowers to come forward with accurate information about potential securities law violations."

"The whistleblowers sustained assistance including multiple interviews and written submissions was critical to the success of these actions," said Creola Kelly, Chief of the SECs Office of the Whistleblower. "While the whistleblowers information did not prompt the opening of the Commissions investigation, their information expanded the scope of misconduct charged."

Payments to whistleblowers are made out of an investor protection fund, established by Congress, which is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards. Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action, and adhere to filing requirements in the whistleblower rules. Whistleblower awards can range from 10 to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose any information that could reveal a whistleblowers identity.

For more information about the whistleblower program and how to report a tip, visit https://www.sec.gov/whistleblower.

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