C3.ai CEO Thomas Siebel Disposes 66,752 Shares for Tax Withholding
Key Points
The transaction involved the disposal of 66,752 shares at $10.56 per share, representing an estimated value of ~$705,000 on Sept. 14, 2026.
The disposal represents 0.71% of the total equity stake held before the filing, while the insider maintains a total post-transaction position of 9.3 million shares.
The activity included the exercise of 44,766 options and subsequent giftings from indirect entities, including The Siebel Living Trust, First Virtual Holdings, and Siebel Asset Management.
This non-discretionary transaction was executed to satisfy tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards and does not reflect a change in the insider's fundamental view of the firm.
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Thomas M. Siebel, CEO and Chairman of the Board of C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:AI), disposed of 66,752 shares of Class A Common Stock on Sept. 14, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Transaction value | $705,000 |
| Shares sold | 22,780 |
| Shares gifted | 43,972 |
| Shares gifted (directly held) | 21,986 |
| Shares gifted (indirectly held) | 21,986 |
| Post-transaction shares (directly held) | ~722,000 |
| Post-transaction shares (indirectly held) | ~8.6 million |
| Post-transaction value | $104.1 million |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($10.56); post-transaction value based on Sept. 14, 2026 market close ($11.17).
Key questions
- What triggered this specific disposal of shares?
The disposition was non-discretionary, occurring automatically under company policy to satisfy tax withholding requirements following the vesting of restricted stock units (RSUs) on Sept. 11, 2025, and subsequent quarterly vesting periods. - How are the remaining indirect holdings distributed?
The CEO controls approximately 8.6 million shares held indirectly through several entities, with the largest portions managed by The Siebel Living Trust (~7.1 million shares) and The Siebel 2011 Irrevocable Children's Trust (~1.2 million shares). - What is the status of the insider's total equity exposure?
Despite the recent disposal, Thomas M. Siebel remains a significant stakeholder with 9.3 million shares of Class A Common Stock and an additional 179,228 direct derivative securities, representing a total beneficial ownership value of approximately $104.1 million as of the Sept. 14, 2026 market close. - How has the stock performed leading up to this transaction?
At the time of the transaction on Sept. 14, 2026, shares were priced at $11.17 at the market close, reflecting a one-year total return of -38%.
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Share Price (as of market close 2026-09-15) | $10.79 |
| Market Capitalization | $1.70 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $232.40 million |
| Net Income (TTM) | -$446.40 million |
Company Snapshot
- C3.ai provides enterprise artificial intelligence software solutions, with core offerings including the C3 AI Application Platform for developing and deploying enterprise-scale AI applications, complemented by specialized tools such as C3 AI Ex Machina for data preparation and C3 AI CRM for customer relationship management.
- The company generates revenue through licensing its AI software platform and related applications to enterprise customers globally, enabling organizations to build, deploy, and operate AI-driven business solutions at scale.
- C3.ai serves a diverse customer base across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region, targeting large enterprises seeking to implement artificial intelligence capabilities across their operations.
C3.ai is a leading provider of enterprise AI software with a market capitalization of $1.70 billion and TTM revenues of $232.40 million. The company operates with 764 employees and maintains a global presence across multiple geographic regions. C3.ai's competitive advantage lies in its comprehensive AI application platform that enables enterprises to rapidly develop and deploy AI solutions without requiring extensive in-house AI expertise.
What this transaction means for investors
It is always notable when a CEO sells company shares, and Thomas Siebel's sale of C3.ai shares is no exception.
However, the disposition of the 66,752 shares occurred automatically to satisfy tax withholding requirements, meaning it would have happened regardless of the SaaS stock's performance. Hence, Siebel's sale is probably not a cause for concern.
Nonetheless, other factors give investors little reason for optimism, besides the 38% stock price decline over the last year.
AI has driven massive gains in many of the more prominent stocks, but that does not seem to be the case with C3.ai. In the first quarter of fiscal 2027 (ended July 31), revenue fell by 26% to $52 million. Also, even though losses fell over that period, the $93 million lost exceeded its revenue.
C3.ai is in the middle of a transition to a subscription-based model, likely influencing the revenue decline. Also, the company seems to have lost ground to cloud providers and competitors like Palantir, which may also weigh on revenues.
Still, while these issues have created tremendous uncertainty that may dissuade investors from owning the stock, Siebel's stock sale is probably not one of those concerns.
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Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends C3.ai. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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