TOTTENHAM’S billionaire owner Joe Lewis has been charged with insider trading by American authorities.
US Attorney Damian Williams has accused the Spurs owner of “classic corporate corruption”.
He claims the billionaire shared confidential information with his romantic partners, personal assistants, private pilots and pals.
Lewis, 86, is a self-made billionaire who was born in London – but rarely spends time in the UK.
According to the Forbes rich list, he has an estimated fortune of a whopping £4.3bn.
In a video published this evening, the US Attorney said: “Today I’m announcing that my office, the Southern District of New York, has indicted Joe Lewis, a British billionaire, for orchestrating a brazen insider trading scheme.
Read more on football
“We allege that for years that Joe Lewis abused his access to corporate boardrooms and repeatedly provided insider information to his romantic partners, his personal assistants, his private pilots and his friends.
“Those folks then traded on that insider information and made millions of dollars in the stock market because for Lewis it was a sure thing.
“Now none of this was necessary. Joe Lewis is a wealthy man. But as we allege he used inside information to compensate his employees or to shower gifts with his friends and lovers.
“It’s classic corporate corruption. It’s cheating and it’s against the law – laws that apply to everyone no matter who you are.
Most read in Football
“That’s why Joe Lewis has been indicted and will face justice here in the Southern District of New York.”
Tottenham Hotspur have been approached for comment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
