In a recent development, four former Twitter executives, including ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, alleging that they are owed over $128 million in severance payments. The executives were fired by Musk shortly after he acquired Twitter, now known as X.
The lawsuit claims that Musk has a personal vendetta against these former executives, who played a key role in holding him accountable to his $44 billion commitment to acquire Twitter. Musk’s alleged statement from Walter Isaacson’s biography, where he expressed a desire to “hunt every single one” of Twitter’s C-suite “till the day they die,” is cited in the lawsuit.
Particularly, Musk has been critical of Vijaya Gadde, one of the executives involved in content moderation decisions on Twitter. Musk’s public mockery of Gadde on social media reportedly led to racist online attacks against her.
This lawsuit is not an isolated incident, as several former Twitter employees have also taken legal action against Musk for unpaid severance. Under Musk’s ownership, Twitter has faced challenges such as unpaid rent on office spaces, leading to evictions and additional lawsuits.
The lawsuit alleges that Musk has failed to provide evidence to support his claims of “gross negligence” and “willful misconduct” by the fired executives. The plaintiffs accuse Musk of intentionally delaying and complicating the legal process to avoid fulfilling his financial obligations.
In response to the allegations, Musk’s lawyers have yet to comment publicly on the matter. The case is expected to proceed through the legal system in the coming months.
