Trader Accidentally Sells off 5 Million Company Shares. His ‘Fat Finger’ Held Responsible

But was his ‘fat finger’ responsible for the accidental sale?

Imagine someone entering a trade and pressing the button next to the one he or she meant to on the keyboard, literally because his or her finger was too big. It has become a colloquialism that refers generally to human error, either a literal typing error or a more figurative mistake. As many financial institutions have discovered over the years, an extra zero here or there can make a huge difference.

The report stated that the trade coincides with strong gains for the stock, which on Wednesday jumped 5.6% to close at a record high.

Li has issued an apology for the trade on his personal Weibo account, and said he personally made the decision to buy back the stock. He stressed his confidence in the business, and said the fees from the transactions would come out of his own pocket and he would accept any legal consequences.