Former Twitter executives have taken Elon Musk and X to court. They claim to be entitled to $128 million (118 million euros) in unpaid severance pay.
The lawsuit by the former Twitter executives is an aftermath of the chaotic takeover of -then- Twitter in 2022, writes The Wall Street Journal and others. Following the takeover, Twitter changed its name to “X” and Elon Musk promptly got rid of the executives.
Those suing are former Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, Head of Legal Affairs Vijaya Gadde and General Counsel Sean Edgett.
Indictment
In the suit in a California court, the petitioners argue that by withholding 128 million in severance payments, Elon Musk is enacting revange over the difficult 2022 acquisition process.
They argue that Musk was trying to get out from under the proposed $44 billion takeover. However, the executives in question had to force him to go through with the deal, including by threatening legal action.
Revenge of Elon Musk
In retaliation, Elon Musk allegedly fired Twitter’s former executives without cause so that he would not have to pay severance payments. In later conversations, including with biographer Walter Isaacson, Musk allegedly bragged that this saved him $200 million.
Incidentally, this is not the first time former Twitter employees have challenged their dismissals in court. Already shortly after the acquisition in November 2022, former employees dragged the eccentric billionaire Musk to court over a mass dismissal of 3,700 employees. They allegedly did not receive the required 60-day severance notice.
Elon Musk and X did not respond to the suit by Twitter’s former executives.
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