GOOD TIMING

SolarWinds Investors Sold Off Millions in Stock Days Before Russia Hack Exposure, Says Report

The tech company’s top two investors offloaded $280 million in stock six days before SolarWinds disclosed its role in the unprecedented breach by suspected Russian hackers.

Since it was revealed that SolarWinds software was breached in a major Russian cyberattack that hit several U.S. government agencies, the Texas-based company’s share price has plummeted by about 22 percent. Intriguingly, in the days before SolarWinds disclosed its role in the breach, its top investors reportedly offloaded millions and millions of dollars in stock. The Washington Post reports investment firm Silver Lake sold $158 million in SolarWinds shares on Dec. 7—six days before the breach was reported. Thoma Bravo, a private-equity firm, sold $128 million of shares on the same day. In a joint statement, the investment firms said they “were not aware of this potential cyberattack at SolarWinds” before they sold off the combined $286 million in stock.