The IRS has issued a rare apology for the leak of thousands of tax documents, including those of billionaire and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, between 2018 and 2020. This public apology follows a settlement Griffin reached with the IRS after he filed a lawsuit in December 2022 over the unlawful disclosure of his tax information by a contractor.
The contractor, Charles Littlejohn, was responsible for sharing the confidential information with the press, violating the terms of his employment. The IRS acknowledged this breach of trust, which also affected other high-profile individuals, including billionaire Elon Musk.
IRS Statement on Data Breach
“The IRS takes its responsibilities seriously and acknowledges that it failed to prevent Mr. Littlejohn’s criminal conduct and unlawful disclosure of Mr. Griffin’s confidential data,” the IRS stated. “Accordingly, the IRS assures Mr. Griffin and the other victims of Mr. Littlejohn’s actions that it has made substantial investments in its data security to strengthen its safeguarding of taxpayer information.”
Littlejohn’s Sentencing and IRS Security Improvements
Charles Littlejohn received a five-year prison sentence in January. The IRS emphasized its commitment to enhancing data security to prevent future breaches and protect taxpayer information.
Ken Griffin’s Response
Ken Griffin, whose net worth is estimated at $42 billion, expressed his gratitude for the resolution of the matter. In 2022, Citadel achieved record earnings for a hedge fund, and in 2023, the firm’s overall earnings reached $74 billion.
“I am grateful to my team for securing an outcome that will better protect American taxpayers and that will ultimately benefit all Americans,” Griffin told CBS MoneyWatch in response to the IRS’s apology and the settlement.
