OZY MEDIA DOUBLED REVENUE WITH SHOCKING LIES! EXECS BARRED!

SEC v. Samir Rao, Suzee Han — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26506, dated March 24, 2026.

The SEC charged Ozy Media executives Samir Rao and Suzee Han with defrauding investors. They allegedly raised approximately $50 million by providing false financial information, inflating Ozy Media's annual revenue by at least 100 percent each year from 2018 through 2020. Final judgments have been entered against Rao and Han, permanently enjoining them from violating antifraud provisions and imposing a three-year officer and director bar on Rao.

In Plain English

Imagine you're trying to get people to invest in a lemonade stand. You tell them you made $100 last year, but you actually only made $50. The SEC said Ozy Media's former COO and Chief of Staff did something similar, telling investors the company made way more money than it actually did. They raised a lot of money based on these fake numbers, and now they've agreed to stop doing that and can't be top bosses at public companies for a while.

Disclaimer: all facts are drawn from the SEC's own filings; the claims described are allegations unless and until a court rules or the parties settle, and some cases end in dismissal.

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

1. Inflating Revenue Ozy Media executives Samir Rao (COO) and Suzee Han (Chief of Staff) allegedly provided prospective investors with false financial information. This information vastly inflated Ozy Media's annual revenue by at least 100 percent annually from 2018 through 2020.
2. Disseminating False Statements Suzee Han actively assisted in preparing and disseminating these false financial statements to potential investors. This action helped to perpetuate the misleading picture of the company's financial health.
3. Raising Capital Under False Pretenses Through these repeated misrepresentations concerning Ozy Media's financial condition, business relationships, and fundraising efforts, the defendants allegedly raised approximately $50 million from investors.
4. SEC Investigation and Complaint The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint on February 23, 2023, alleging these fraudulent activities against four defendants, including Rao and Han.
5. Consent Judgments Entered On March 18, 2026, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered final consent judgments as to Samir Rao and Suzee Han, resolving the SEC's litigation against them.
6. Permanent Injunctions The final judgments permanently enjoin Rao and Han from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder.
7. Officer and Director Bar The final judgment as to Samir Rao also imposes a three-year bar prohibiting him from acting as an officer or director of any public company. This was a modification from a previously imposed ten-year bar.

The Enforcement Action

On March 18, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered final consent judgments against former Ozy Media, Inc. COO Samir Rao and former Chief of Staff Suzee Han. The SEC's complaint, filed February 23, 2023, alleged that four defendants raised approximately $50 million through misrepresentations concerning Ozy Media's financial condition, business relationships, and fundraising efforts. The judgments permanently enjoin Rao and Han from violating antifraud provisions. Rao is also prohibited from serving as an officer or director of any public company for three years.

Named in this action: Samir Rao, Suzee Han.

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