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The public accusation was announced Tuesday over Bechtolsheim’s involvement in Acacia Communications’ business options related to Cisco’s 2019 acquisition of the company. The SEC alleges that Bechtolsheim illegally profited more than $415,000 from the trade after learning of the purchase on August 8, 2019, one day after it went public.
Bechtolsheim, whose net worth is estimated to be more than $16 billion, is accused of receiving confidential information about the purchase from an employee of an unnamed multinational technology company department with whom he met with Acacia. Immediately after this meeting, Bechtolsheim exchanged Acacia’s options for funds belonging to his relatives and associates.
The lawsuit filed by the SEC in federal court in San Jose, California, alleges that Bechtolsheim violated his duty of honesty and increased trust by providing false information to the public about the purchase of Acacia. Although the agreement involved Bechtolsheim pleading guilty or denying the charges, he agreed to pay a significant fine of $923,740.
Although Bechtolsheim stepped down as Arista’s president and chief development officer in December, he retained his role as architect and remains the company’s largest shareholder, with shares worth approximately $14 billion. In response to this incident, Arista emphasizes its commitment to complying with the Code of Conduct and Insider Trading Policy.
Bechtolsheim, who lives in Incline Village, Nevada, joined Arista in 2004 and led the company’s IPO a decade later. With Arista’s market value approaching $95 billion, Bechtolsheim’s influence on the dot-com industry is significant. His notable career includes co-founding Sun Microsystems in 1982 and serving as chief software engineer until Oracle acquired the company for $7.4 billion in 2009.
While the deal could have financial ramifications and limit future business, Bechtolsheim’s influence in the tech community reflects his past and ongoing success in business.