Niccolo de Masi, CEO of IONQ, has sold every single share he owned, unloading $103 million worth of stock in a move that has raised eyebrows across Wall Street. The sale, disclosed in an SEC Form 144 filing, confirms that ISALEA INVESTMENTS LP, a firm linked to de Masi, is offloading 2,597,500 shares of IONQ common stock.
The timing is highly suspicious. De Masi has been hyping IONQ stock for months, touting its quantum computing breakthroughs and aggressive expansion plans. Yet, just 90 days into his role, he has cashed out completely, leaving investors questioning whether this was a classic pump-and-dump scheme.
The SEC filing reveals key details. The shares were originally acquired on November 13, 2020, as founders’ stock, meaning de Masi had held them for years before deciding to sell. The filing also confirms that Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is handling the transaction, with the sale scheduled for June 11, 2025.
This isn’t the first time de Masi has sold IONQ stock. Just two days earlier, he offloaded 9,280 shares for $391,894, citing tax obligations. While executives often sell shares for personal financial reasons, the scale and timing of this liquidation suggest something far more calculated.
Investors are scrambling to react. IONQ’s stock has been volatile, surging 405% over the past year, but this sudden insider sale has triggered concerns about the company’s future. Analysts are watching closely, with some warning that more sell-offs could follow.
The SEC filing includes a Rule 10b5-1 plan, indicating that de Masi claims no knowledge of undisclosed material adverse information about IONQ. However, if any misleading statements were made, federal criminal violations under 18 U.S.C. 1001 could come into play.
Sources:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1480011/000195004725004170/xsl144X01/primary_doc.xml