Elon Musk’s bid to remove “Twitter Sitter” requirement denied by US court
By Uzair Adam Imam
In a recent decision, the US Supreme Court has rejected Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s attempt to overturn a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that mandates preapproval from a lawyer for certain Tesla-related tweets, colloquially known as his “Twitter sitter.”
The settlement stems from Musk’s 2018 tweets regarding taking Tesla private, during which he falsely claimed to have “funding secured.”
As part of the agreement, Musk agreed to seek approval from a lawyer for tweets that could significantly affect Tesla.
Despite agreeing to the terms, Musk has persistently sought avenues to circumvent the settlement.
Reports indicate that the identity of the purported “Twitter sitter” remains undisclosed, with Tesla declining to reveal this information.
Investigative efforts by Bloomberg’s Dana Hull have thus far been unsuccessful in uncovering the individual behind the role.
In 2023, a federal appeals court dismissed Musk’s attempt to modify or annul the settlement.
Musk’s legal team subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the requirement infringed upon his free speech rights.
However, the highest court declined to hear the case, affirming the lower court’s ruling.
The federal appeals court noted that the SEC had investigated only three of Musk’s past tweets, including the notorious 2018 “funding secured” tweet, which led to the consent decree, a $40 million fine, and Musk’s resignation as Tesla’s chairman.
The other tweets under scrutiny contained misleading information about Tesla’s vehicle production and a poll suggesting Musk sell a portion of his Tesla stock.