Jury finds Musk misled investors during Twitter takeover, absolves him of some fraud claims

A jury found Elon Musk liable for misleading investors by deliberately depressing Twitter's stock price ahead of his $44 billion acquisition of the platform in 2022, though it cleared him of charges that he orchestrated a broader scheme to commit fraud. The verdict represents a partial win for investors who sued over statements Musk made during the chaotic months when he was negotiating to take the company private, claiming his actions artificially suppressed share values. The liability finding exposes Musk to potential damages, though the jury's rejection of the "scheme" charge narrows the scope of his legal exposure and suggests it found his misconduct fell short of coordinated fraud. This case centered on whether Musk's public statements and stock transactions—including his claims about financing and his erratic behavior on the platform—constituted deliberate deception or crossed into criminal-level conspiracy.