Suit Settled: Elon Musk Reaches Agreement On $128 Million Lawsuit With Fired Ex-Twitter Executives
The agreement resolves a significant legal dispute stemming from Musk's $44 billion acquisition.
Elon Musk has settled the high-profile $128 million lawsuit filed by former top executives, including the CEO and CFO, who were terminated immediately following his takeover of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The agreement resolves a significant legal dispute stemming from Musk's $44 billion acquisition, during which he fired the executives and subsequently refused to pay their contractually obligated severance packages. The settlement was reported, citing court filings related to the case.
The lawsuit was originally brought by former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde, along with General Counsel Sean Edgett. They were seeking a combined $128 million in severance, arguing that they were unjustly terminated without cause shortly after the deal closed in October 2022.
The executives’ claims centered on the fact that their employment agreements guaranteed large payouts in the event of termination following a change in company control.
Details of the Claim
The core of the dispute was the massive financial liability triggered by the "golden parachute" provisions in the executives' contracts. Musk had argued in the past that the executives were fired for "gross negligence" and "willful misconduct," which would void their right to severance pay.
The former leaders countered that Musk had failed to provide any legitimate legal basis for those claims, asserting they were let go simply because Musk did not want them running the company.
The settlement, the terms of which were not immediately disclosed, brings an end to one of the most visible legal challenges arising from the tumultuous acquisition.
While the exact final payout remains private, the resolution avoids a protracted court battle that would have revealed internal details about the company's tumultuous transition under Musk's ownership. The settlement marks a pragmatic step to resolve the lingering financial and legal overhang from the 2022 takeover.
