I get the sense that the choose overseeing the upcoming Twitter vs Elon Musk trial actually doesn’t look after Elon all that a lot.
With the trial set for October, through which Musk will search to exit his $44 billion Twitter takeover bid, on the grounds that Twitter has lied concerning the presence of bots and spam on its app, Musk and Twitter at the moment are within the evidence-gathering stage, as they appear to formulate their respective circumstances within the course of.
This week, Musk and Co. had what seemed to be a win, with former Twitter Safety chief Peter ‘Mudge’ Zatko leveling a spread of accusations towards the corporate, together with the suggestion that Twitter has certainly intentionally lied concerning the presence of bots and spam within the app.
Musk himself appeared fairly proud of Zatko’s revelations – although whether or not they’ll really make any distinction, in relation to Musk’s authorized case, is up for debate.
Although it appears unlikely, with Twitter noting that the unique phrases of the deal embrace the supply that its bot/spam numbers are estimates, not stone-clad information factors, which Musk agreed to when he signed the unique doc.
That implies that Musk and his group will most likely nonetheless want to seek out one other manner out – and this week, Musk’s group had one other minor win, with the choose within the case ruling that Twitter has to supply extra perception into the way it assesses its bot/spam counts.
Musk and Co. requested for a spread of knowledge factors on the accounts that Twitter has assessed up to now, and the choose dominated that Twitter does have to supply some more information.
However there was additionally this:
“Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court docket of Chancery mentioned lots of Musk’s information calls for have been “absurdly broad,” amounting to trillions of knowledge factors that “nobody of their proper thoughts has ever tried to undertake such an effort.”
All through the exploratory course of, McCormick has appeared largely unsympathetic to Musk’s place, as Twitter has offered its authorized case. After viewing Twitter’s unique case notes, McCormick dominated that the case trial can be expedited to five days in October, which is far shorter and quicker than Musk’s group had pushed for.
That would replicate the view that Twitter is on steadier floor, in a authorized sense (although Twitter had pushed for a September trial date), with the complexities that Musk and Co. have offered failing to shift the needle, not less than at this stage of the method.
However now, Musk will get extra information, whereas Musk can also be looking for to take a seat down with Zatko to debate his revelations, within the hope that this too will assist to solidify his case.
It doesn’t seem to be it’ll add a heap of authorized weight to Musk’s claims – however then once more, Zatko’s testimony does solid extra doubt over Twitter’s inside processes, whereas the pending fines consequently, which might be within the billions, can also be grounds for dismissal of the takeover settlement, primarily based on Materials Antagonistic Impact (i.e. an unexpected change within the state of affairs which alters the make-up of the unique settlement).
However most likely not. We’ll simply have to attend and see.
On one other entrance, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey woke up from hibernation this week to share a few of his common, faux-philosophical ideas on how issues are going for the app.
In response to a tweeted query about whether or not Twitter has turned out the best way that he wished, Dorsey mentioned that his largest remorse is that Twitter turned an organization within the first place.
Dorsey – who’s made thousands and thousands from promoting Twitter inventory – has a brand new, revisionist perspective: that Twitter ought to really be a protocol as a substitute, which might function extra like e-mail, and wouldn’t be owned by an organization or state.
Which is silly, and is not sensible for numerous causes – whereas it’s additionally price noting that Dorsey has beforehand mentioned that his ‘largest remorse’ is:
So, mainly, Jack Dorsey has quite a lot of regrets, which displays each his fickle nature and his philosophical flexibility, which can change once more subsequent time you ask him.
In different phrases, don’t ask Jack. Happening remarks from those that labored on the firm throughout his tenure, he wasn’t round a lot both manner.
So, issues are nonetheless fairly tense, nonetheless fairly chaotic within the Twitter/Musk stakes, with the newest accusations most likely not serving to Musk’s case, however undoubtedly not serving to Twitter itself in any manner both.
Which is the following large query – what occurs to Twitter after the trial in October?
If Musk one way or the other does win, and wriggles out of his takeover bid, Twitter might be left with an enormous mess to wash up, and never a lot cash with which to do it, whereas if Musk loses, he’ll be taking on an organization that he publicly fought tooth and nail to get away from, which might be not splendid state of affairs for the employees which can be left behind.
After which, once more, will come the potential fines primarily based on Zatko’s testimony, whereas Twitter’s share value, you’ll count on, may also be in free fall – as a result of clearly, even Elon noticed one thing within the app’s documentation that made his flip on the app.
Principally, in three months time, we’re going to be taking a look at Twitter rather a lot in a different way. And it most likely received’t be for the higher.
The five-day Elon vs Twitter trial is scheduled for October seventeenth
