Nikola eyes $125M payout to settle SEC charge against Trevor Milton

Nikola said connected Thursday it was moving with national regulators to wage a $125 cardinal punishment to settee a complaint against its founder, arsenic the electric-truck shaper works connected ramping up production.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had charged Trevor Milton for utilizing societal media to repeatedly mislead investors astir the company’s exertion and capabilities, reaping “tens of millions of dollars” arsenic a effect of his misconduct.

Shares of Nikola, which besides reported 3rd 4th fiscal results, were up 13% astatine $14.38 successful aboriginal trading.

The institution said the settlement, which was yet to beryllium approved by a ballot of SEC commissioners, volition beryllium paid implicit 2 years.

The Phoenix, Arizona-based startup added that it intends to question reimbursement from Milton for costs and damages successful transportation with these investigations.

A spokesperson for Milton was not instantly disposable to comment.

Nikola said it volition question reimbursement from laminitis Trevor Milton for costs associated with the SEC probe.Steven Hirsch

Milton had stepped down as Nikola’s enforcement president past September, 2 weeks aft short-seller Hindenburg Research labeled the institution a “fraud” and said it made galore misleading statements astir its technology.

Subsequently, helium was besides criminally charged with defrauding investors by lying to them astir the company’s products and technology.

As the institution works connected closing this chapter, Nikola said it had started gathering pre-series trucks successful its Coolidge, Arizona installation and inactive looks to present up to 25 trucks to dealers and customers by December 2021.

Trevor Milton stepped down from the institution helium founded aft a short-seller labeled the steadfast a “fraud.”REUTERS

In September, Nikola had signed a woody with Germany’s Bosch Group to physique Bosch fuel-cell powerfulness modules astatine its installation successful Coolidge for 2 of its trucks powered by hydrogen fuel-cells.

The institution besides said that it had built 7 hydrogen fuel-cell trucks that are being tested successful Germany and the United States and volition advancement to roadworthy merchandise by the extremity of 2021.