Nor does your Rule 144 argument! The opposite is actually true!
If the company that issued the securities is a “reporting company” in that it is subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, then you must hold the securities for at least six months. If the issuer of the securities is not subject to the reporting requirements, then you must hold the securities for at least one year.
The first batch of 30M shares simply could NOT have been restricted...