A high-profile trial focused on a 2018 tweet about the financing for a Tesla buyout that never happened drew a surprise spectator Friday B次元官网网址� Elon Musk, the billionaire accused of misleading investors with his usage of the Twitter service he now owns.
Musk, the CEO of both Tesla and Twitter, strode into the San Francisco federal courtroom moments before closing arguments from the opposing attorney in the case were scheduled to begin and took a seat alongside his legal team. Like everyone else in the courtroom, he was wearing a mask, as required by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, but briefly dropped it as he chuckled and whispered something to one of his lawyers.
Although an August 7, 2018 tweet disclosing he had B次元官网网址� is the at the center of the trial, Musk wasnB次元官网网址檛 required to show up for FridayB次元官网网址檚 proceedings. His presence in court while he is trying to reverse huge losses at Twitter and overseeing Tesla amid stiffening competition underscores the importance of the trialB次元官网网址檚 outcome to him.
If the nine-person jury decides to hold him liable for misleading Tesla shareholders during a 10-day period in August 2018 for the funding secured tweet and a indicating a deal was imminent, Musk and Tesla could be on the hook for .
Those 2018 $40 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations of misconduct. Chen had decided last year that MuskB次元官网网址檚 2018 tweets and has instructed the jury to view them that way.
During roughly eight hours on the stand, Musk insisted he believed he had lined up the funds from Saudi ArabiaB次元官网网址檚 Public Investment Fund to take Tesla private after eight years as a publicly held company. He as a well-intentioned communication to ensure all Tesla investors knew the automaker might be on its way to ending its then-eight-year run as a publicly held company.
B次元官网网址淚 had no ill motive,B次元官网网址� Musk testified. B次元官网网址淢y intent was to do the right thing for all shareholders.B次元官网网址�
The jury is expected to begin its deliberations in the afternoon after the closing arguments are finished.
B次元官网网址擬ichael Liedtke, The Associated Press
