• Michael Saylor, former CEO of MicroStrategy, has had his appeal against tax evasion charges rejected by a judge.
• Whistle-blowers alleged that Saylor was avoiding city income taxes in D.C between 2005 and 2021 while living a playboy lifestyle there.
• A $150 million lawsuit against Saylor related to the false claims act was partially dismissed with the district still pursuing a $25 million claim for unpaid taxes and penalties.
Michael Saylor’s Dismissed Tax Evasion Charges
Former MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor has suffered a big blow as Judge Yvonne Williams rejected his appeal against tax evasion claims. The court did dismiss the allegations that the company and Saylor had conspired to violate the False Claims Act of Washington, D.C., however the District can still pursue part of their claim relating to $25m in unpaid taxes, alongside interest and penalties.
Whistle-Blowers Reveal Playboy Lifestyle
In April 2021, disclosures by whistle-blowers revealed that Michael Saylor was avoiding city income taxes in D.C between 2005 and 2021 while living a playboy lifestyle there. It is alleged that he bought up three prestigious Georgetown penthouses which were then combined into a massive 7,000sq ft luxury apartment, despite claiming to have his personal home in Florida – evidenced by near nightly parties he threw on his multiple yachts kept in the city. Former DC Attorney General Karl A. Racine brought forward this case based on these allegations and sought out punishment under DC’s False Claims Act law which allows citizens to file lawsuits against alleged tax dodgers, with whistle-blowers able to pocket up to 25% of any recovered proceeds from such cases.
Saylor Hits Back at Allegations
The now famous Bitcoin Maxi denies all allegations put forward against him categorically; stating “[I] continue to respectfully disagree with the District’s position on the remaining claims” and “Florida is [the] center of my personal and family life” . With Judge Yvonne Williams dismissing more than half of the case against him it seems like this could be doomed for failure with D.C Attorney General Brian L Schwalb implying an appeal may be made against her ruling soon enough too..
False Claims Act Law & Its Unique Benefits
DC has a relatively new law called the False Claims Act which allows citizens to file lawsuits against alleged tax dodgers whilst giving them unique benefits such as allowing whistle-blowers to keep a portion of any proceeds recovered from such cases should they win them – as much as 25%. This is what happened when former DC Attorney General Karl A Racine brought forward this case based on whistle-blower evidence seeking out punishment under DC’s False Claims Act law in April 2021..
Final Thoughts
This now partially dismissed $150M lawsuit could have seen huge financial rewards for those involved if successful – including potentially up to 25% for any whistle blower who filed suit under this act – though future success remains uncertain with only part of it being dismissed so far..