Insider Trading: Ex-Goldman Director Gupta Pleads Not Guilty
Rajat K. Gupta pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges that he leaked insider information while serving as a director of Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.
The Securities and Exchange Commission had earlier filed a six-count indictment against Gupta, a former McKinsey & Co. global consulting head. Five charges involved securities fraud and one count involved conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
“Directors who exploit board room confidences for private gain can be certain they will ultimately be held responsible for their illegal actions,” said Robert S. Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
Gupta surrendered to FBI officials in New York on Wednesday morning.
According to a complaint filed in federal court in New York City, Gupta illegally tipped off convicted hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam with insider information about the quarterly earnings of Goldman Sachs and P&G, as well as an impending investment in Goldman by Berkshire Hathaway at the height of the financial crisis.
Rajaratnam was recently convicted of multiple counts of insider trading in other securities stemming from unrelated insider trading schemes, allegedly caused various Galleon Management funds to trade based on Gupta’s information.
Gupta allegedly told Rajaratnam about Berkshire Hathaway’s $5 billion investment in Goldman and Goldman’s upcoming equity offering before the information was publicly announced in September 2008.
Based on that information, Rajaratnam arranged for Galleon, which he founded, to purchase more than 215,000 Goldman shares.