Basketball Star Paul Pierce Settles With SEC Over Crypto Violations
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February 17, 2023 9:21 pm
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Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce agreed to settle with the SEC for comments he made about EthereumMax.
Pierce who won a championship with the Boston Celtics settled with the SEC for $1.4 million dollars.
The SEC filed a charge against Pierce after the NBA star touted EMAX to his Twitter followers without disclosing he was being paid to promote the cryptocurrency.
Previously Kim Kardashian settled with the SEC for $1.2 million for her promotion of EMAX to her followers.
Paul Pierce charged by SEC over crypto promo on social media, agrees to pay $1.4 million. https://t.co/HQTo8V0EdG
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) February 17, 2023
CNBC had more details to add:
NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics, agreed to settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $1.4 million over allegations that he unlawfully touted crypto securities, the regulator announced on Friday.
The action against Pierce involves his public statements about EthereumMax, or EMAX, the same crypto security product that the SEC charged influencer Kim Kardashian with unlawfully touting.
Pierce promoted EthereumMax tokens on Twitter while failing to disclose that he was paid for his promotion with EMAX tokens worth more than $244,000, the SEC alleged. Pierce did not admit or deny wrongdoing as part of the settlement and will pay a $1.1 million penalty and disgorge “approximately $240,000,” the SEC said.
Pierce is also barred from promoting any crypto asset securities for three years, the SEC said.
“This case is yet another reminder to celebrities: The law requires you to disclose to the public from whom and how much you are getting paid to promote investment in securities, and you can’t lie to investors when you tout a security,” SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said in a statement.
Pierce’s social media support for EthereumMax also involved allegedly misleading the public about his EMAX holdings, according to the SEC. Pierce allegedly shared misleading screenshots of his EMAX holdings and profits, the SEC said, without disclosing that his personal holdings were actually far lower.
NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce reached a settlement after touting crypto asset securities on social media without disclosing the payment he received for the promotion, the SEC says. https://t.co/42NeM0hnD9
— ABC News (@ABC) February 17, 2023
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