Adam Aron, the CEO of AMC Theatres, revealed that he had been the victim of an “elaborate criminal extortion.” The chief of the world’s largest cinema chain didn’t reveal details about what he described as a “blackmail attempt” other than to claim they were “related to false allegations about my personal life.”
Aron says there has been a “vigorous” criminal investigation taken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and he had reported the situation to the FBI and Justice Department.
“Rather than give in to blackmail, I personally engaged counsel and other professional advisors and reported the matter to law enforcement,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I did so knowing I risked personal embarrassment. But with my access to resources, if I did not stand up against blackmail, who could?”
Aron says his extortionist had been investigated and sentenced in July 2023, resulting in the person being “arrested, convicted of a felony, and spending nearly a year in jail.” He also said AMC’s Board of Directors had reviewed the events with outside counsel at WilmerHale.
“This indeed was entirely a personal matter, and the matter is closed,” he wrote.
More to come…
