- Celsius founder and CEO Alex Mashinsky has allegedly been prevented from leaving the country
- Mashinksy supposedly tried to leave for Israel from Morristown Airport, New Jersey but wasn’t allowed
- No official announcements have confirmed the rumours but it comes from “multiple sources”
There are suggestions on social media that Celsius CEO Alex Mashinksy was prevented from leaving the U.S., even though there is no arrest warrant for him. However, the claims have not been verified by official or even named sources, meaning they are impossible to verify, but this hasn’t stopped the rumour mill going into overdrive just a couple of days after it was also claimed that Goldman Sachs is putting up $2 billion to buy the troubled lending company.
Mashinsky Supposedly Stopped at Morristown Airport
The suggestion that Mashinksy had been stopped or detained in some way at Morristown Airport, New Jersey, was first reported by entrepreneur Mike Alfred:
BREAKING: Alex Mashinsky attempted to leave the country this week via Morristown Airport but was stopped by authorities. Unclear at this moment whether he was arrested or simply barred from leaving. Please contact me if you have more information on this.
— Mike Alfred (@mikealfred) June 27, 2022
Alfred added that his source supplied him with “detailed” information, including that he was flying to Israel where he lived as a child, claiming that several other sources had confirmed the same reports.
Goldman Sachs Thought to be Interested in Buying Out Celsius
If true, the development would be a very telling one seeing as U.S. officials haven’t announced any investigation into what is looking like a very probable collapse of Celsius. It would however show that investigation of some sort is taking place, and that authorities may want to speak to Mashinsky after all. Mashinsky himself hasn’t been active on social media since he posted on June 15th when he called what the company was going through a “difficult moment”.
Celsius’ plight has been well documented, with the Wall Street Journal reporting on Friday that the company was seeking to hire bankruptcy advisers, the same day as Coindesk reported that Goldman Sachs was seeking $2 billion in commitments from investors to buy distressed assets at steep discounts if the crypto lender goes bankrupt.
It was revealed in November last year that Celsius’ CFO Yaron Shalem was among seven people arrested for an alleged cryptocurrency fraud scheme. Shalem’s court case is ongoing.
