Musk and Twitter lawyers debate three weeks before trial

Lawyers for the richest man in the world once again demanded access to more data about fake or automated Twitter accounts, a pillar of Musk's arguments for not completing the purchase of the platform.

They believe that Twitter is asking for too much information about Musk's relations with Peiter Zatko, the social network's former head of security who now accuses his former company of hiding computer vulnerabilities and lying about the fight against fake accounts.

In early July, the San Francisco-based group filed a lawsuit against Musk to force him to comply with the acquisition agreement signed in late April.

Shareholders approve sale of Twitter, but Musk no longer wants to buy

Twitter shareholders approved, this Tuesday (13), the purchase of the social network by Elon Musk for the value of 44 billion dollars. The outcome of the agreement, however, will be defined in a legal battle between the company and the billionaire, who in July gave up on going ahead with the acquisition.

According to the board of directors, the proportion of fake accounts on the platform is a pretext used by the businessman, who in reality would have changed his mind after seeing the drop in the company's value on the stock exchange in recent months.

Twitter's lawyers rejected accusations that they were abusing attorney-client privilege to withhold certain documents.

They are expected to question the tycoon in a closed-door deposition rescheduled for October 6 and 7, according to multiple press reports.

The trial is scheduled to begin on October 17 in a specialized court in the state of Delaware, on the east coast of the United States, and will last five days.

The market sees Twitter as having an advantage in the trial, as Delaware law is a priori favorable to the enforcement of contracts. And the judge presiding over the case, Kathaleen McCormick, granted the company a quick trial, while the billionaire wanted to wait until next year and demanded astronomical amounts of Twitter data to support his argument.

But Zatko's surprise intervention added a new dimension to the case, as the judge allowed Musk to include the new allegations in his arguments.

The legal battle could lead to “a settlement, the payment of breach of contract fees, the obligation to buy Twitter as planned, and a myriad of other outcomes,” Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities said in a note on Tuesday.

The analyst also continues to believe that “it is possible that the parties negotiate behind the scenes”.

(with AFP)