Elon Musk Defends Tweets in Lawsuit Over Twitter Acquisition

Musk says he had to pay full price because Delaware judge was "biased" against him

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Elon Musk testified in a San Francisco court that he had to pay the full $44 billion price to acquire Twitter in 2022 because the Delaware judge overseeing the company's lawsuit to force him to complete the deal was "biased" against him. Musk has previously complained about the Delaware Chancery Court's chief judge, Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, but this was the first time he made those claims in court.

Why it matters

Musk's testimony is part of a class action lawsuit alleging that his tweets about Twitter's bot accounts caused the company's stock to fall, leading to investor losses. The outcome of this case could have significant financial implications for Musk and set precedents around social media executives' responsibilities to shareholders.

The details

Musk testified that he had to pay the full $54.20 per share price for Twitter because the Delaware judge was biased against him. He has openly criticized the Delaware Chancery Court and its chief judge before, but this was the first time he made those claims in court. The class action lawsuit alleges that Musk's tweets about Twitter's bot accounts caused the company's stock to fall, leading to investor losses.

  • The lawsuit is being heard in a San Francisco court on March 6, 2026.

The players

Elon Musk

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal in 2022.

Kathaleen St. J. McCormick

The chief judge of the Delaware Chancery Court, which oversaw the lawsuit between Twitter and Musk over the acquisition.

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What they’re saying

“I had to pay the full price because the Delaware judge was biased against me.”

— Elon Musk (Bloomberg)

What’s next

The San Francisco court will continue to hear arguments in the class action lawsuit against Musk over his Twitter acquisition.

The takeaway

Musk's testimony highlights the ongoing legal battles and controversies surrounding his high-profile acquisition of Twitter, which could have significant financial and precedential implications depending on the outcome of this case.