Ergen Family Transfers $483M in Class B Stock to New Estate Planning Trust with Control Conditions
SATS has more than doubled off its 52-week low of $23.97.
Summary
Charles W. Ergen transferred 4.3 million Class B shares, worth $483 million, to a new estate planning trust managed by Cantey M. Ergen, maintaining the family's controlling stake.
Key Events · Ownership and Investor Activity · SATS
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Significant Stock Transfer
Charles W. Ergen transferred 4.3 million shares of Class B Common Stock to the newly formed Ergen Two-Year June 2026 SATS GRAT.
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Value of Transfer
The transferred shares are valued at approximately $483 million based on the current Class A stock price.
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Estate Planning
The transfer was made for estate planning purposes, with Cantey M. Ergen appointed as the trustee, holding sole voting and dispositive power over these shares.
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Control Maintained
The Ergen family continues to hold a controlling stake in EchoStar, with Charles W. Ergen reporting 51.0% and Cantey M. Ergen reporting 50.7% beneficial ownership of Class A Common Stock.
Analysis · SATS · Technology
Charles W. Ergen transferred 4.3 million shares of Class B Common Stock, valued at approximately $483 million, to a newly established Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) for estate planning. This move shifts a significant portion of the controlling family's equity within their managed entities, with Cantey M. Ergen serving as trustee. The GRAT agreement includes specific conditions for disposition, tied to a 'Change of Control Event,' which could influence future ownership dynamics and potential liquidity events for this block of shares.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Sep 20, 2026, 29.6% of the 1592 measured filings Wiseek scored 7 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.41%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, SATS was trading at $112.31 on NASDAQ in the Technology sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $32.4B. The 52-week trading range was $23.97 to $147.25. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.