Form 4: CleanCore Solutions CEO Clayton Adams Exercises Significant Stock Options, Boosts Direct Class A Holdings

CleanCore Solutions, Inc. CEO Clayton Adams exercised 2 million stock options, increasing his direct beneficial ownership of Class A Common Stock to 1,875,795 shares after a cashless exercise.

Summary

• Clayton Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Director, and 10% Owner of CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (ZONE), reported a change in beneficial ownership.
• On June 3, 2025, Mr. Adams exercised 2,000,000 stock options for Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.25 per share.
• To cover the exercise price of $500,000, Mr. Adams elected a cashless exercise, resulting in the disposition of 124,205 shares of Class A Common Stock at a price of $4.0256 per share.
• Following these transactions, Mr. Adams directly beneficially owns 1,875,795 shares of Class A Common Stock.
• Mr. Adams also continues to directly beneficially own 493,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, which were not part of this reported transaction.
• The stock options exercised were originally exercisable from September 16, 2023, and had an expiration date of September 16, 2032.

Sentiment

Score: 7

Explanation: The sentiment is moderately positive. While the transaction involves a disposition of shares, it is explicitly for a cashless exercise to cover the option price, not a sale for profit. The underlying action is an exercise of a significant number of options, leading to a substantial increase in the CEO's direct beneficial ownership of Class A Common Stock, which is generally viewed as a positive signal of insider confidence and alignment with shareholder interests.

Positives

• The CEO, Clayton Adams, increased his direct beneficial ownership of Class A Common Stock by exercising a significant number of stock options, which can signal confidence in the company's future prospects.
• The transaction aligns the CEO's interests more closely with those of common shareholders.

Negatives

• No explicit negatives are present in this Form 4 filing, as the disposition of shares was solely for the purpose of covering the exercise price of the options, not a sale for profit.

Future Outlook

This Form 4 filing reports a past insider transaction and does not contain forward-looking statements or guidance regarding the company's future performance or outlook.

Management Comments

• As permitted by the stock option agreement, the Reporting Person elected to pay the exercise price of the option ($500,000) by having the Issuer withhold a number of shares having a fair market value equal to the exercise price.

Industry Context

This filing is a routine insider transaction report and does not provide specific insights into broader industry trends or competitive landscape. It reflects an individual executive's equity compensation activity within CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

Related Party Transactions

• The transaction involves the exercise of stock options granted by the Issuer to its Chief Executive Officer, which is a standard form of equity compensation.

Stakeholder Impact

• Shareholders: The increase in the CEO's direct beneficial ownership of Class A Common Stock may be viewed positively as it enhances management's alignment with shareholder interests.
• Employees: No direct impact on employees is indicated by this filing, though it reflects the company's equity compensation practices for executives.

Key Dates

Keywords

CleanCore Solutions, ZONE, Clayton Adams, SEC Form 4, Insider Transaction, Stock Option Exercise, Beneficial Ownership, CEO, Director, 10% Owner, Equity Compensation