SMCI

Negative publicity about us or our products, even if inaccurate or untrue, could adversely affect our reputation and confidence in our products, which could harm our business and operating results. For example, on August 27, 2024, a news article was published by a short seller alleging evidence of accounting manipulation, sibling self-dealing and sanctions evasion (the “Report”). We indicated that such Report contained false or inaccurate statements about us, including misleading presentations of information we previously shared publicly. publicly and announced the results of the related Special Committee investigation.

Harm to our reputation has in the past, and may in the future, arise from many other sources, including employee misconduct, such as in connection with the alleged conduct described in the Indictment involving individuals associated with the Company at the time, and misconduct by our partners, consultants and outsourced service providers. Additionally, negative publicity with respect to our partners or service providers could also affect our business and operating results to the extent that we rely on these partners or if our customers or prospective customers associate us with these partners.

We are subject to U.S. and other applicable trade control regulations that restrict with whom we may transact business, including the trade economic sanctions administered and enforced by the U.S. Treasury, Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the import and export controls enforced by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Security, among other U.S. government agencies. If we fail to comply with applicable sanctions, export control or import laws and regulations restricting dealings with sanctioned countries or companies and/or persons on restricted lists, regulations, we may be subject to civil or criminal penalties. Any future violations could have an adverse impact on our ability to sell our products to United States federal, state and local government and related entities. We have business relationships with companies in China China, in Eastern Europe, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe who have been, or may in the future be, added to a restricted party list. We take steps to minimize business disruption when these situations arise; however, we may be required to terminate or modify such relationships if our activities are prohibited by U.S. or other applicable laws. Further, our association with these parties could subject us to greater scrutiny or reputational harm among current or prospective customers, partners, suppliers, investors, other parties doing business with us or using our products, government enforcement agencies, or the general public. The United States and other countries continually update their lists of import and export-controlled items and technologies, and may impose new or more-restrictive import and export import, export, or sanctions requirements on our products in the future. As a result of regulatory changes, we may be required to obtain licenses or other authorizations to continue supporting existing customers or to supply existing products to new customers in China, Eastern Europe and elsewhere. Further escalations in trade restrictions or hostilities, particularly between the United States and China, could impede our ability to sell or support our products. Although we historically sold products into Russia before broad sanctions were imposed, we no longer sell products or provide services to Russia. We had last recorded revenue from customers based in Russia in February 2022.

Such restrictions could include additional unilateral or multilateral import and export controls on certain products or technology, including but not limited to AI technologies and high-performance computing. As geopolitical tensions have increased, products containing semiconductors associated with AI, including GPUs and associated products, are increasingly the focus of export control restrictions proposed by stakeholders in the U.S. and its allies. The United States has imposed unilateral controls restricting GPUs and associated products, and it is likely that additional unilateral or multilateral controls will be adopted. Such controls have been and may again be very broad in scope and application, prohibit us from exporting our products to any or all customers in one or more markets, including but not limited to China, and could tangentially negatively impact our warehousing locations and options, or could impose other conditions that limit our ability to serve demand abroad and could negatively and materially impact our business, revenue and financial results. Violations or alleged violations of such unilateral controls restricting GPUs and associated products, such as in connection with the alleged conduct described in the Indictment involving individuals associated with the Company at the time, have contributed to significant volatility in, and declines of, the trading price of our common stock, as well as harm to our reputation.

Although we attempt to ensure that we, our customers, suppliers, resellers, and partners comply with the applicable import, export, and sanctions laws, we cannot guarantee full compliance by all. Actions of our customers, suppliers, resellers and partners are not within our complete control, and our products could be re-exported to sanctioned persons or countries or provided by our retailers to third persons in contravention of our requirements or instructions or the laws. In addition, there are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any policies, procedures, and internal controls relating to such compliance, and there can be no assurance that such procedures or internal controls will work effectively at all times or protect us against liability under anti- corruption, anti-corruption, sanctions or other laws for actions taken by us, our resellers or partners. For example, the Indictment alleged that the three individuals employed or associated with the Company at the time worked closely with third-party brokers with customers based in China to commit export-control violations. Any such potential violation by us, our customers, suppliers, resellers, or our partners could have negative consequences, including government inquiries, investigations, enforcement actions, monetary fines, or civil and/or criminal penalties, and our reputation, brand, and revenue may be harmed.