Icahn Enterprise LP’s disclosure of a Might 3 inquiry from federal prosecutors in New York despatched the corporate’s shares reeling, nevertheless it’s removed from the primary time Carl Icahn has confronted a authorities probe.
If the US lawyer’s workplace for the Southern District of New York is inspecting the allegations made about Icahn Enterprises by quick vendor Hindenburg Analysis, nevertheless, that might be a much more sweeping probe than even the one into Icahn’s ties to Ivan Boesky, authorized consultants mentioned.
The US lawyer’s workplace has not mentioned what triggered the knowledge request. However it got here at some point after Hindenburg launched its report accusing Icahn Enterprises of significantly inflating its asset valuations. The quick vendor likened the agency to a Ponzi scheme, saying it paid an unjustifiably excessive dividend to present buyers by bringing in new ones drawn each by Icahn’s fame and the dividend.
Icahn Enterprises mentioned final week that it’s complying with a request for info on its company governance, securities choices, dividends and due diligence, amongst different supplies and famous that prosecutors had made no allegations towards Icahn or the agency. Legal professionals for Icahn Enterprises declined to touch upon Monday.
Former federal prosecutor Sam Amir Toossi mentioned it will make sense for the Southern District to have a look at the Hindenburg claims.
Hindenburg is “accusing the asset administration firm of inflating the valuations by as a lot as 70%, and so they’re utilizing the time period Ponzi scheme, so in fact the US lawyer’s workplace goes to look into that and lob a subpoena and see what they discover,” he mentioned. Of added concern, Toossi mentioned, was that Hindenburg urged retail somewhat than institutional buyers had been being harmed.
Public Hurt
“When the general public might be harmed, it’s positively extra of curiosity to a federal prosecutor,” he mentioned. “I’d argue it will weigh in favor of being a bit extra aggressive.”
Prosecutors hardly ever disclose the standing of inquiries that don’t advance to prison expenses. If the Southern District decides to not pursue a fuller investigation after Icahn Enterprises responds to its info request, the workplace is unlikely to challenge an announcement to that impact. The matter will merely be dropped, as has occurred plenty of occasions up to now with Icahn. who has by no means been charged with a monetary crime.
Icahn first rose to fame within the Eighties as one of many unique company raiders, famously buying Trans World Airways in a hostile takeover after which promoting off its routes and different property. Throughout that point, he incessantly rubbed shoulders with figures like Boesky and Michael Milken.
As detailed in James Stewart’s Den of Thieves, Icahn and Boesky in 1983 each acquired stakes in Gulf and Western Industries Inc., the conglomerate that then owned Paramount Footage. Boesky later named Icahn to prosecutors investigating the unsuccessful takeover bid as attainable market manipulation. One other Boesky affiliate, John Mulheren, was later convicted for his position within the Gulf and Western transaction, however the probe of Icahn didn’t advance previous the subpoena stage.
In newer occasions, Icahn’s identify got here up in a 2014 insider-trading investigation that led to the conviction of Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters. At trial, Walters’s major dealer mentioned that Walters acquired most of his buying and selling concepts from Icahn. Icahn, who wasn’t accused of wrongdoing, advised Bloomberg TV on the time that he has by no means given out inside info.
Southern District prosecutors have additionally checked out whether or not Icahn took benefit of a longtime friendship with then-President Donald Trump, whose administration he joined as an unpaid “particular adviser.” In November 2017, Icahn Enterprises revealed in a regulatory submitting that Manhattan federal prosecutors had issued it subpoenas looking for info on whether or not Icahn had sought to affect environmental coverage in a means that might profit CVR Vitality Inc., an impartial oil refiner through which he owns a majority share.
Although he left his White Home position amid the criticism, Icahn mentioned he by no means had entry to confidential info, didn’t revenue from his place and mentioned his advocacy was rational on condition that he owned a stake in a refinery.
Trump Tariff Plans
In Might 2019 Icahn revealed in one other submitting with regulators that Southern District prosecutors sought details about his sale of shares in Wisconsin crane producer Manitowoc Co. to find out whether or not he profited from nonpublic details about US plans for tariffs on imported metal whereas he was Trump’s adviser. Icahn mentioned he had no information of tariff plans earlier than his firm offered greater than one-third of his stake within the firm.
In each cases, Icahn Enterprises mentioned it was complying with the requests. It’s not clear if something got here of both inquiry.
Relatively than deal with a particular transaction, the Hindenburg report, alleges Icahn Enterprises engaged in a prolonged sample of mismarking the worth of its property.
Southern District US Lawyer Damian Williams has made cracking down on mismarking — using questionable strategies to make illiquid and personal property look extra priceless than they’re – a serious focus of the workplace. In recent times, Southern District prosecutors have introduced a number of circumstances over such conduct towards hedge funds, personal fairness funds and household workplaces.
‘Deliberately Inflated’
Hindenburg cited CVR in its report for instance of Icahn’s alleged asset valuation inflation. In line with the quick vendor, Icahn’s valuation for the corporate, its second-largest holding, fails to account for a cyclical decline in refinery margins in addition to main drop within the value of fertilizer, a serious product for CVR.
Southern District prosecutors have beforehand investigated claims Hindenburg made about one other firm. Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton was convicted of fraud in October for exaggerating to buyers the capabilities of the corporate’s debut electrical truck.
Toossi mentioned any prosecution stemming from Hindenburg’s allegations about Icahn Enterprises wouldn’t be a straightforward case to carry although.
“Valuation circumstances are onerous to make as a result of a prosecutor has to indicate that the valuations are deliberately inflated,” he mentioned. “It’s not sufficient to say that they’re unsuitable. It’s not sufficient to say they aren’t well-grounded or not well-reasoned. You actually have to indicate there may be an intent to inflate them, to juice the inventory value or regardless of the case could also be. In any white collar case, intent is the toughest factor to show.”
