Portrait not available

Born in United States · Nationality American — Arbitrage / insider trading / Wall Street / judicial cooperation

Ivan Boesky

Documented profile covering 5 controversies, including “1986–1989: secret cooperation, recordings of Wall Street executives and debate over leniency” and “April 1987: guilty plea to conspiracy to file false statements with SEC”.

Are you concerned? Right of reply

Profile No. 1979 · Updated on 12 October 2026

5Documented controversies

5Sources

1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

1986–1989

1986–1989: secret cooperation, recordings of Wall Street executives and debate over leniency

No legal proceedings

Following his agreement with authorities, Boesky secretly recorded conversations with several Wall Street figures. His cooperation fuelled major investigations and prosecutions, notably involving Drexel and Michael Milken, and contributed to guilty pleas by other participants.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
The Washington PostBoesky Tape of Milken RevealedPressHigh reliability
[2]
The Washington PostIvan Boesky Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

Case · 2 documented stages

April 1987: guilty plea to conspiracy to file false statements with SEC

Conviction

23 April 1987

April 1987: guilty plea to conspiracy to file false statements with SEC

Conviction

Boesky pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false statements with the SEC. The case concerned concealment of an agreement relating to accumulation of Fischbach Corporation shares and the actual ownership structure and coordination with other participants.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
Los Angeles TimesBoesky Pleads Guilty to One Felony ChargePressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

18 December 1987

December 1987: sentenced to three years in prison despite cooperation described as exceptional

Conviction

Judge Morris Lasker sentenced Boesky to three years' imprisonment. The decision explicitly considered both the scale of his conduct and his unprecedented cooperation with authorities; according to retrospective accounts, Boesky ultimately served approximately twenty months.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
The Washington PostIvan Boesky Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

au moins 1982–1986

1982–1986: systematic use of inside information on mergers and acquisitions

Civil / administrative proceedings

Boesky generated part of his arbitrage profits by obtaining confidential information about takeovers, notably through investment banker Dennis Levine. Investigations described profit-sharing arrangements and exchanges of non-public information.

State of the evidence: Settlement
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
The Washington PostIvan Boesky Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonPressHigh reliability
[2]
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionIn re Warren G. Trepp — Initial Decision (historical findings on Boesky settlement)Regulatory authorityVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

14 November 1986

November 1986: record $100 million SEC settlement and lifetime securities industry ban

Civil / administrative proceedings

Boesky settled the SEC's insider trading allegations for a total of $100 million: $50 million for settling claims/disgorgement and $50 million in penalties, together with a lifetime ban from professional securities market activities.

State of the evidence: Settlement
Legal status — source text: $50 million disgorgement, $50 million penalty and lifetime industry bar
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionSEC Annual Report 1986Regulatory authorityVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionIn re Warren G. Trepp — Initial Decision (historical findings on Boesky settlement)Regulatory authorityVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
Line width: number of documented references
Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (2)

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.

Support the archive

Controversia checks and updates its profiles independently. Support is optional and has no effect on the content of profiles.

Donate