The prolific Elon Musk lawsuit for his Tesla buyout tweets back in 2018 recently went on-session in the court trial, and this required the CEO to go on the witness stand and explain his side. In his statement, the billionaire claimed that he is only exercising his right to "free speech," centering on the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The lawsuit filed against the multi-tech CEO centers on his claims that he will buy the majority of Tesla and make it private, and this was something he claimed almost five years ago.
Musk Tesla Buyout Lawsuit: Billionaire Goes on Stand
(Photo : BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor)
According to AP News, the Tesla buyout lawsuit recently went into session last Friday, January 20, and the star witness, CEO Elon Musk, was asked to the stand to explain his side of what happened. In Musk's statement, he claimed that his statement is "the most democratic way," defending his tweets including the one from four and a half years ago.
Moreover, this justification of the tech CEO argued that Twitter's 240-character count has constraints on the information he wants to bring to the world.
He claimed that everyone can be "absolutely truthful" pertaining to Twitter, but also said that it is different from being "comprehensive," which he thinks that people can not.
Read Also: Attorneys Call Elon Musk a 'Liar' Amid Tesla Buyout Tweets Trial
Elon Musk Reason: the First Amendment
The main focus of Musk's statement centers on the United States Constitution's First Amendment, one that centers on freedom of speech in the country. While tweets are a part of a person's expression and exercise their democracy, there are certain liabilities it brings, especially when people get affected by one's statement online.
Musk and Making Companies Private
Privacy can go a long way, but that is not the case for companies that are on public offerings like Tesla, and Elon Musk is now facing a lawsuit that is now in trial for his previous tweets. In this hearing, previous tweets from 2018 go back to light, and this centers on the defrauded investors who held Tesla stock for ten days after Musk's claims.
Tesla is still a public company with many investors pouring money and assets to grow with the company, and not a privately-managed one, as per what Musk claimed in 2018. Before the case started, Musk and his team petitioned to move the hearing to Texas, from San Fransisco, California, as he claimed that there is a "substantial portion" for the jury participating.
In the recent outing of Elon Musk in front of the court, he was asked as to why he made those tweets back in 2018, and the tech CEO's explanation centers on democracy. Although, he further argues that there may be confusion about his tweets as the 240-character count on the platform may not be enough to express what he wants to say from almost five years ago.
Related Article: Elon Musk Could Likely Lose Billions Following His 'Tesla Private' Tweet
