With its largest ever whistleblower bounty, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday awarded $30 million to an informant whose tips led to a major enforcement action. The previous high for an SEC award to a whistleblower was $14 million, which was announced in October 2013.
The award is also notable because it is the fourth award to a whistleblower living in a foreign country. “This award of more than $30 million shows the international breadth of our whistleblower program as we effectively utilize valuable tips from anyone, anywhere to bring wrongdoers to justice,” Sean McKessy, chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, said in a statement. “Whistleblowers from all over the world should feel similarly incentivized to come forward with credible information about potential violations of the U.S. securities laws.”
