In a bold move to reshape perceptions and engage with the burgeoning community of retail investors, Ken Griffin, the founder of Citadel, has launched an initiative aimed at, give it a second… — okay we’re ready, fostering transparency and trust.
This comes in the wake of growing scrutiny from retail investors who have voiced concerns over market manipulation practices associated with high-frequency trading firms like Citadel.
In another surprising twist, Citadel Securities, also issued a formal warning to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the risks posed by private rooms and 24-hour trading in early May.
Retail investors have increasingly criticized Citadel for its role in market dynamics, particularly following the GameStop trading frenzy in early 2021.
Many believe that high-frequency trading firms, including Citadel, hold undue influence over market movements, leading to allegations of market manipulation.
Griffin’s recent outreach efforts are seen as an attempt to directly address these concerns and rebuild credibility, per Bloomberg.
In his remarks, however, Griffin has been criticized for seemingly belittling the years of education and experience that many retail investors have accumulated regarding complex market mechanisms, including dark pools and high-frequency trading.
His statements suggesting that retail investors need basic education can come across as dismissive to those who have dedicated significant time to understanding these intricate topics.
Educational Initiatives
In his Bloomberg interview, Griffin emphasized the importance of education in his outreach efforts, launching online seminars designed to demystify trading practices and explain the intricacies of market operations.
However, many retail investors feel that his approach fails to acknowledge the depth of knowledge they already possess, particularly concerning controversial practices like naked short selling and the functioning of dark pools.
By empowering retail investors with knowledge, Griffin aims to ‘alleviate fears and foster a more informed investment community’.
Yet, his comments have raised eyebrows among those who feel their expertise is undervalued.
“An educated investor is a more confident investor,” Griffin noted, but this sentiment may overlook the years of self-education many retail investors have undertaken.
The rise of retail investing has transformed the landscape of financial markets.
Platforms like Robinhood and others have democratized trading, allowing everyday people to participate in the stock market.
However, this shift has led to tensions between institutional and retail investors.
Griffin acknowledges the pivotal role retail investors play in today’s market.
“They are not just participants; they are shaping the future of investing.
It’s critical that we listen to them,” he remarked.
“It’s very important to understand that your likelihood of beating the pros as a novice investor is low.
It’d be like asking me to go out there and play football on an NFL team.”
Yet, the implication that retail investors require basic training undermines their credibility and expertise.
Also Read: A New System Meant To Detect Illegal Short Selling Now Uncovers Two Cases
Citadel Cannot Build Trust with Retail Investors
Citadel’s initiative comes at a time when trust in financial institutions is waning.
Retail investors have become increasingly vocal about their dissatisfaction with market inequities.
In 2024, Truth Social, Trump’s social media site publicly scrutinized Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities for naked short selling the market.
“Rather than support our common sense efforts to promote transparency and compliance, Citadel Securities bizarrely targeted our CEO with an unhinged attack. Here’s our response:
“Citadel Securities, a corporate behemoth that has been fined and censured for an incredibly wide range of offenses including issues related to naked short selling, and is world famous for screwing over everyday retail investors at the behest of other corporations, is the last company on earth that should lecture anyone on ‘integrity.’”
Griffin’s proactive approach aims to build trust through open dialogue and transparency, though many see this as a facade for legacy media to eat.
“We have a responsibility to operate with integrity and ensure that all investors understand the rules of the game,” he stated.
The ongoing legal drama surrounding Meta Materials Inc. and ticker MMTLP, captured the attention of the retail investor community earlier this year, particularly following a subpoena issued to Virtu Financial, LLC, involving Citadel.
It requests “all communications electronically stored in the original format captured, including transaction records and emails, related to locating, securing, borrowing, and delivering shares of Meta and/or MMTLP.”
This includes details on instances where Citadel failed to deliver shares and how it resolved those failures.
This development has sparked significant discussions about the fairness and integrity of the financial markets, especially concerning the treatment of retail investors.
In December 2022, FINRA placed a U3 halt on MMTLP, effectively suspending trading and leading to the ticker’s delisting.
This abrupt halt locked retail investors out of their investments, preventing them from selling shares and recouping losses.
And in March, a court also denied a motion by the defendants, which include Citadel and six other brokers, to dismiss the NWBO case based on allegations of market manipulation through a practice known as “spoofing.”
Citadel’s history of market manipulation goes far back.
While Griffin may be playing the boy who cried wolf, he has been seen as the fox in the henhouse by the massive retail investor community.
But I’m curious to know what you think — leave your thoughts below.
Back to Daily Market News.
Follow Frank Nez on X or Facebook for more community insights.
Announcement: PR Newswire formally announces Frank Nez’s Journalist Verification on Muck Rack, solidifying our position in independent media.
About The Author
How is he not in prison yet?…
Can anyone post this on SuperStonk? This clown has to be embarrassed
He needs to be investigated
What a crying bitch!
We will never trust this crook Frank! FU pay me #GME
Citadel and mayo boy will never be trusted
Ken Griffin is a POS that needs to be investigated.
A few Citadel Regulatory Fines
1. Misleading clients on pricing trades (SEC, 2017)
• The SEC charged that Citadel used two algorithms to internalize retail orders at suboptimal prices but told broker-dealers they were providing or seeking the best execution.
• Result: They paid $22.6 million — including $16 M in penalties, $5.2 M disgorgement, plus interest — and received a censure .
2. Incorrect marking of short-sale orders (SEC, 2023)
• Over a five-year span, a coding error led to millions of orders mistakenly marked as “long” or “short.”
• Resolution: $7 million payment, a cease-and-desist order, and corrective undertakings .
⸻
✅ Other Notable Citations & Penalties
• FINRA penalties (2020): A $700,000 fine for “trading ahead” by executing for its own account while client OTC orders were paused .
• SEC blue-sheet data violations (2018): A $3.5 million fine for reporting errors on about 80 million trades .
• Additional infractions: Wikipedia and independent trackers list further penalties including:
• $800K in 2014 for OTC trading irregularities,
• $3.5 M in 2016 for consolidated feed violations,
• Multiple FINRA censures and smaller fines for various rule breaches  .
⸻
Summary
Citadel Securities has faced repeated regulatory actions involving misleading practices — especially misrepresenting trade execution and mislabeling orders due to coding flaws. The largest recent fines came from the SEC: $22.6 M in 2017 and $7 M in 2023. Several smaller fines and censures have also been issued over the years.
So in short: Yes, they have been fined multiple times — some of which relate to fraudulent or deceptive conduct.
Great addition to the article. Thanks for leaving this here, Justin.