Musk's Top Lawyer Faces Limits on Testimony in Twitter Investor Lawsuit

Judge restricts what Alex Spiro can say to the jury about his conversations with Musk during the Twitter acquisition saga.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Elon Musk's top attorney, Alex Spiro, took the stand briefly in a trial over Musk's turbulent 2022 Twitter acquisition, but Judge Charles R. Breyer significantly limited what Spiro could say to the jury. The judge cited attorney-client privilege in restricting Spiro's "most important testimony" about his conversations with Musk during that period. Spiro did testify about a 5% discount offer from Twitter that Musk rejected, saying he would still pursue Twitter's executives for fraud.

Why it matters

The case is a high-profile trial over whether Musk defrauded Twitter investors by driving down the stock price to strike a better deal for his $44 billion acquisition of the company. Spiro's testimony was seen as crucial, but the judge's restrictions on attorney-client privilege limit what the jury can hear about Musk's decision-making process.

The details

Attorneys for the investors suing Musk had fought for months to disqualify Spiro as Musk's attorney, arguing he was a key witness at the heart of the case. The judge ultimately allowed Spiro to serve as both Musk's attorney and a witness, but has expressed concerns throughout the trial about witnesses veering into testimony that would implicate attorney-client privilege, which he has ruled is off limits.

  • The trial in San Francisco federal court began on March 10, 2026.
  • Spiro testified for about 15 minutes on March 10, 2026.

The players

Alex Spiro

Elon Musk's top attorney and a partner at the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP. He has a long record of defending Musk in cases around the country.

Judge Charles R. Breyer

The trial judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, presiding over the case between Musk and Twitter investors.

Elon Musk

The billionaire tech mogul who acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal in 2022.

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What they’re saying

“There is no question he is the most important witness in this case.”

— Judge Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Court Judge

“He absolutely will pursue them, he can pursue them forever.”

— Alex Spiro, Elon Musk's Attorney

What’s next

The eight-person jury will decide whether Musk defrauded Twitter investors by driving down the stock price to strike a better deal for his acquisition of the company.

The takeaway

The judge's restrictions on Spiro's testimony highlight the challenges in balancing attorney-client privilege and the need for transparency in a high-profile case involving Musk's controversial Twitter acquisition.