Elon Musk finds himself embroiled in yet another legal battle, this time involving four former Twitter executives, including ex-CEO Parag Agrawal. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, alleges that Musk owes the executives over $128 million in severance payments.
Upon acquiring Twitter, now X, Musk swiftly took action by terminating Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and legal counsel Sean Edgett and Vijaya Gadde. The lawsuit contends that Musk harbours a particular animosity towards these former executives, who played pivotal roles in holding Musk accountable for his $44 billion commitment when he attempted to renege on it. The lawsuit cites passages from Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk, wherein Musk allegedly expressed intentions to pursue Twitter’s entire C-suite “till the day they die.”
Of the executives, Gadde has been subject to Musk’s vocal criticism, particularly regarding her involvement in significant content moderation decisions on Twitter. Following his bid to acquire Twitter, Musk posted memes mocking Gadde, which sparked a barrage of racist online attacks against her.
However, it’s not just these executives who have been left waiting for their severance pay. Musk has faced numerous lawsuits from former Twitter employees in similar situations. Under his ownership, the company ceased paying rent on some offices, resulting in further legal disputes and evictions.
According to the lawsuit, Musk accused these executives of “gross negligence” and “willful misconduct” in their termination letters but failed to provide evidence to support his claims.
“This is the Musk playbook: to keep the money he owes other people, and force them to sue him,” the lawsuit reads. “Even in defeat, Musk can impose delay, hassle, and expense on others less able to afford it.”
