Billionaire Convicted in Huge Insider Trading Case

Raj Rajaratnum of Galleon Group guilty on all counts
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 11, 2011 11:30 AM CDT
Raj Rajaratnum of Galleon Group Convicted on All Counts in Massive Insider Trading Case
Raj Rajaratnam, left, billionaire co-founder of Galleon Group, enters Manhattan federal court with attorney Terence Lynam.   (Louis Lanzano)

A former Wall Street titan was convicted today of making a fortune by coaxing a crew of corporate tipsters to give him an illegal edge on trades in technology and other stocks. Prosecutors called it the largest insider trading case ever involving hedge funds. Sri Lanka-born Raj Rajaratnam was convicted of five conspiracy counts and nine securities fraud charges at the closely watched trial in federal court in Manhattan. The jury had deliberated since April 25.

Prosecutors alleged the 53-year-old Rajaratnam made profits and avoided losses totaling more than $60 million from illegal tips. His Galleon Group funds, they said, became a multibillion-dollar success at the expense of ordinary stock investors who didn't have advance notice of the earnings of public companies and of mergers and acquisitions. Rajaratnam will remain free on bail, though now with electronic monitoring, at least until his July 29 sentencing. (More Raj Rajaratnam stories.)

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