Pardoned Grifter Trevor Milton Dodges $100M Bill While Nikola Burns

Trevor Milton, the disgraced and recently pardoned founder of Nikola, is resisting a subpoena from creditors trying to collect nearly $100 million he still owes the bankrupt EV company.

The official committee of unsecured creditors sent the subpoena on April 1 to Milton’s lawyers, seeking a clear picture of his financial status.

Milton lost a 2023 arbitration tied to his fraud conviction, but has not paid the resulting award, according to the committee.

Before bankruptcy, Nikola accused Milton in Arizona federal court of moving millions of dollars to dodge repayment.

Milton has spent two months fighting the subpoena, claiming the requested documents are shielded by a protective order.

The legal showdown is set for June 9, just one day before Milton’s self-funded documentary premieres, promising to reveal his side of the story.

With most Nikola assets liquidated—Lucid snapped up its factory and fleet—the unpaid award is one of the few valuable pieces left.

Nikola’s bankruptcy plan relies on collecting from Milton to resolve a lingering shareholder lawsuit over the company’s misleading public debut.

Despite the urgency, Milton hasn’t paid a cent, and creditors accuse him of trying to sabotage the bankruptcy from the inside.