Twitter shareholders sue Elon Musk over delay in disclosure of stake
India Today
Elon Musk was sued by former Twitter shareholders who claim they missed out on the recent run-up in its stock price because he waited too long to disclose a 9.2 percent stake in the social media company.
Elon Musk was sued on Tuesday by former Twitter shareholders who claim they missed out on the recent run-up in its stock price because he waited too long to disclose a 9.2 percent stake in the social media company.
In a proposed class action filed in Manhattan federal court, the shareholders said Musk, the chief executive of electric car company Tesla Inc, made "materially false and misleading statements and omissions" by failing to reveal he had invested in Twitter by March 24 as required under federal law.
Twitter shares rose 27 percent on April 4, to $49.97 (roughly Rs. 3,800) from $39.31 (roughly Rs. 2,990), after Musk disclosed his stake, which investors viewed as a vote of confidence from the world's richest person in San Francisco-based Twitter.
Former shareholders led by Marc Rasella said the delayed disclosure let Musk buy more Twitter shares at lower prices, while defrauding them into selling at "artificially deflated" prices.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
A lawyer for Musk had no immediate comment. Tesla is not a defendant.
US securities law requires investors to disclose within 10 days when they have acquired 5 percent of a company, which in Musk's case would have been March 24.
