Overview
- Musk’s attorney Alex Spiro, in a letter filed Thursday, asked U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer to investigate the jury for bias after a verdict that found Musk liable to Twitter investors.
- Spiro said jurors wrote “$4.20” in bright blue and larger lettering on the damages form while other entries were in black, which he called a numerical joke meant to send a message to Musk.
- The March 20 verdict held Musk responsible for two statements he made after announcing the buyout as investors argued his comments about spam and fake accounts pushed down Twitter’s share price and triggered losses for people who sold.
- Spiro also pointed to juror questionnaires showing negative views of Musk and to trial steps he said limited the defense, and he urged further court inquiry before damages are finalized.
- Reporters noted the 420 motif tracks with Musk’s past choices, including valuing Twitter at $54.20 per share and his 2018 “funding secured” tweet at $420 that led to an SEC case, while separate coverage estimated potential damages could reach about $2.5 billion.