Former Trade Desk Finance Director Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading, Agrees to Forfeit $338,058
NEW YORK — In New York County, New York, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on November 9 that Jesse Mitchell, a former finance director at The Trade Desk (TTD), pleaded guilty to securities fraud for trading on his employer's material nonpublic information ahead of earnings announcements, and agreed to forfeit $338,058.56 in proceeds.
Mitchell, 48, of Ventura, California, joined TTD around June 2024 as a Senior Director in its financial planning and analysis team, with access to confidential revenue and earnings results before public disclosure. He owed TTD a duty of trust and confidence, and company policy barred him from trading while in possession of material nonpublic information, trading during quarterly blackout periods, and trading TTD options.
In August 2024, TTD published second-quarter results that exceeded its previously disclosed revenue estimate, and its stock price rose approximately 12%. During the blackout period before the announcement, Mitchell bought TTD stock while aware of the nonpublic results, then sold after the announcement, netting approximately $19,696.11.
In February 2025, TTD published fourth-quarter 2024 results that fell below its revenue estimate, its first revenue miss since going public in 2016, and its stock price dropped approximately 30%. During that blackout period Mitchell bought TTD put options, then sold them all after the announcement, realizing approximately $318,362.45 in profits.
Mitchell pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden to one count of securities fraud under Title 15, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 8, 2027. The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and is being handled by the Office's Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin V. Rodriguez and Christy Slavik are in charge of the prosecution.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部大楼（GSM联邦固定图库）。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters (GSM federal asset library).
