Shopify CEO Calls Short Seller a 'Troll' After Harsh Note

Shopify Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tobi Lutke called a short seller that targeted his company a “troll,” in his first public response since being targeted by Andrew Left’s Citron Research last week.

Left, who said he had taken a short position in the stock, published a report on Oct. 4 questioning the sustainability of the Canadian e-commerce company’s growth rate and calling its marketing tactics illegal. Though Wall Street analysts overwhelmingly stood by Shopify and rejected Left’s claims, the company’s shares fell 12 percent, its biggest one-day decline since listing in May 2015.