Sep 07, 2022 14:00:00

Twitter claims that Earon Mask's acquisition of Twitter was canceled not because of the bot, but because Mask was worried about World War III

by

Daniel Oberhaus

Tesla CEO Elon Musk approached Twitter for an acquisition and signed an acquisition agreement with both parties, but later indicated his intention to cancel the acquisition. Mr. Mask, who proposed the acquisition in search of a place for free speech, cited ``there are too many bots on Twitter'' as the reason for the cancellation of the acquisition, but a lawyer on the Twitter side quoted Mr. Mask's message. I disagree.

Musk suggested delaying Twitter deal over 'world war three' concerns | Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/content/1b2eb3e0-8c0a-4f83-88c8-1c4528efe98f

Elon Musk Worried About 'World War III' for Twitter Deal
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/09/elon-musk-worried-about-world-war-three-for-twitter-deal.html

Twitter is suing Mr. Mask for breach of contract of acquisition, and during the hearing held on September 6, 2022, he released a message that Mr. Mask sent to the banker through a lawyer. The message, sent on May 8, 2022, a few weeks after Musk signed the takeover deal, read: 'Putin's speech tomorrow is very important. If so, there is no point in buying Twitter.'

Based on this message, Twitter said, 'Mr. Musk's attempt to cancel the deal is motivated not by concerns about bots, but by protecting his own financial interests in the face of a cooling stock market.' I claimed.

The legal battle between Twitter and Mr. Mask began on July 12, 2022, but initially the existence of bots was the main point of contention on Mr. Mask's side, but later the former Twitter security officer said the company's sloppy security system. There

are concerns that the dispute will become even more bogged down because of this. In response to this accusation, Mr. Musk is asking for a postponement of the trial and disclosure of evidence.

Musk's lawyers have accused Twitter of blaming billionaires for their wrongdoings and claimed they have the right to seek more information on the matter.

On the other hand, a lawyer for Twitter countered Mr. Musk's efforts to delay the acquisition, saying that it was an 'expensive and meaningless investigation,' and the security chief's accusation was not true. In any event, he argued, there was no reason to void the merger agreement.

The next trial is scheduled for October 17, 2022, but as mentioned above, it may be postponed if Mr. Mask's claim is approved. Both Twitter and Mr. Mask are steadily preparing for the trial, and both are reportedly requesting dozens of disclosures and subpoenas.