Elon Musk is seeking to delay until November a trial over his intention to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter Inc. and amend his complaint against the social media company, according to court filings, after a whistleblower provided him with fresh ammunition.
The court filings came after Musk’s lawyer earlier in the day sent a fresh letter to Twitter to include a whistleblower complaint as another reason to scrap the deal.
In July, the Tesla Inc. CEO sent his first termination letter to Twitter, accusing it of misleading him over the number of fake accounts on its platform.
Now, he says the problems go beyond the bogus accounts, and include data security and other concerns raised by the whistleblower, creating a new battle front with Twitter.
Last week, Peiter Zatko, Twitter’s former security chief, said in a complaint filed with US regulators that Twitter prioritized user growth over reducing spam and falsely claimed it had a solid security plan.
Musk and Twitter have sued each other in Delaware state court and a five-day trial is scheduled to start Oct. 17.
Musk on Tuesday asked the judge to let both sides continue briefing their cases through Nov. 10, followed by a conference to discuss what evidence they can introduce at trial. Musk said a trial could begin later that month “subject to the court’s availability.”
The motion to amend his complaint was filed under seal in Delaware Chancery Court.
Twitter wants the court to order Musk to close the deal for $54.20 per share. Musk filed a countersuit, accusing Twitter of fraud.
Legal experts said the whistleblower complaint introduced uncertainty to Musk’s showdown with Twitter, rather than dramatically transforming a case that corporate law specialists have said favors Twitter.
“One door that remains unused by Musk is a federal securities fraud claim,” Eric Talley, a professor at Columbia Law School, said.
Meanwhile, Twitter on Tuesday asked the court to deny Musk’s request for an additional pre-2022 document, calling the motion a “maneuver to derail the trial schedule.”
Musk looks to delay Twitter trial following whistleblower claims
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Musk looks to delay Twitter trial following whistleblower claims
- Musk and Twitter have sued each other in Delaware state court and a five-day trial is scheduled to start Oct. 17
Spotify and Dubai Culture sign MoU to support local talent development
DUBAI: Spotify and the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month aimed at supporting the growth of local musical talent.
The partnership will include the sharing of insights, data and analytics, as well as practical support to help UAE-based artists sustain and progress their careers, the organizations said.
As part of the MoU, Spotify and Dubai Culture will launch joint programs and develop a series of music-led projects focused on the emirate’s creative community.
Talent development is a core pillar of Dubai Culture’s work, said Her Excellency Hala Badri, director-general of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
She added: “In the music sector, this translates into sustained support that enables musicians to develop, produce, and continue their practice over time. The agreement with Spotify is part of our broader efforts to support artists and creatives at all career stages and to strengthen the professional foundations of the music sector in Dubai.”
For Spotify, the MoU is in line with existing initiatives such as the RADAR Arabia program and the Fresh Finds Arabia playlist, which highlight and support local emerging talent.
As a global hub connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, Dubai is playing an increasingly important role in the region’s music economy, said Gustav Gyllenhammar, senior vice president of markets and subscriptions at Spotify.
Through the collaboration with Dubai Culture, he added, Spotify is “helping build a stronger local music ecosystem, supporting discovery and helping music coming out of Dubai reach listeners around the world.”
