A Delaware court has ruled that Trump Media and Technology Group breached its contract with Arc Global, ordering a revised share conversion ratio. The ruling follows a dispute over Arc’s stake after Trump Media’s reverse merger with SPAC Digital World, sparking investor interest.
Court Rules Trump Media Breached Contract in Arc Global Share Dispute, Adjusts Conversion Ratio
In the past few days, the media has concentrated on Donald Trump's imminent removal of share lock-up restrictions. According to Wccftech, this change would enable him to sell his shares in the Trump Media and Technology Group (NASDAQ: DJT), valued at billions if he chooses. Nevertheless, an additional development has emerged to captivate investors' interest.
To provide context, the Trump Media and Technology Group recently went public due to a reverse merger with the SPAC Digital World (DWAC). Before the merger, Arc Global filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery, accusing Digital World's former CEO, Eric Swider, and three board members of miscalculating Arc's stake in a manner that would deprive the company of over 2 million shares post-merger. The controversy was concentrated on the conversion ratio of Arc's Class B DWAC shares into Class A Trump Media shares.
Digital World responded by asserting that its former CEO, Patrick Orlando, and Arc Global Investments II had threatened to obstruct the merger to secure financial gain.
Delaware Chancery Court Judge Lori Will found that Trump Media and Technology Group had violated its contract with Arc Global. Nevertheless, the judge denied Arc Global's assertion of a breach of fiduciary duty. Judge Will modified Arc Global's stake in Trump Media as part of the ruling. The conversion ratio was ordered to be 1.4911, which is higher than the 1.3481 ratio that Trump Media had argued for but lower than the 1.8178 ratio that Arc Global sought.
Speculation Grows Over Trump’s Potential Sale of $2 Billion Stake as Lock-Up Nears End
In the interim, there is ongoing speculation regarding the potential elimination of Trump's lock-up restrictions on his 59% stake in Trump Media, which was acquired through a reverse merger. The restrictions are scheduled to expire on September 26 but could be lifted as early as Thursday. This would enable Trump to sell his shares provided that specific criteria are satisfied, such as the stock price exceeding $12. At present, the stock is trading at $16.67.
Despite Trump's public declaration that he will not sell any of his shares, currently valued at approximately $2 billion, persistent rumors suggest that he may be compelled to sell a portion of his stake.