Kim Kardashian fined $1 million

October 4, 2022
2 MIN READ
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The long list of celebrities promoting cryptocurrencies just got shorter. Kim Kardashian is being barred from doing so for three years — and will pay a $1 million fine — to settle federal charges that she recommended a crypto security to her 330 million Instagram followers without making clear that she was paid to do so.

The reality TV star also must give up the $250,000 she was paid for the Instagram post about Ethereum Max tokens, plus interest, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission settlement announced Monday.

Kardashian is the latest celebrity to get ensnared in regulations that require full disclosure by people getting paid to promote financial products.

Many celebrities and athletes regularly promote crypto through advertisements on TV and online in ways that do not violate any law. Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow are among those who have used their fame to spread enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement that the Kardashian settlement “serves as a reminder to celebrities and others that the law requires them to disclose to the public when and how much they are paid to promote investing in securities.”

Gensler also used Monday’s attention-grabbing settlement with a celebrity as an opportunity to educate the public, releasing a humorous YouTube video that warns about the potential pitfalls of investment advice doled out by the rich and famous.

The SEC said Kardashian agreed to cooperate with an ongoing investigation, though it didn’t provide any details on that investigation.