Citadel Securities Says GSA Stole Data While Recruiting Trader
- Citadel says GSA pushed use of texts, Whatsapp to hide plans
- London lawsuit shows the importance of automated strategies
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A British hedge fund’s attempt to hire a senior trader from Citadel Securities has landed it in a London lawsuit filled with allegations that it obtained a secret trading strategy while using texts and Whatsapp messages to hide all traces of the plan.
GSA Capital LLP accessed confidential information on a crucial automated trading model that cost Citadel more than $100 million to develop, the U.S. market maker said in a London court filing. In the latest case to highlight how far financial firms will go to protect trading ideas, Ken Griffin’s firm is seeking to block GSA from ever using the algorithm.