Tesla CEO Elon Musk has filed papers again to terminate his agreement to acquire Twitter based on information in a whistleblower complaint filed by Twitter’s former security chief.
In a filing with the SEC on Tuesday, Musk said his legal team gave Twitter “additional grounds” for terminating the deal, in addition to those given in the initial termination notice issued in July. said to have notified
In a letter to Twitter Inc. included in the filing, Musk advisers cited a whistleblower report by former executive Peiter Zatko, known by the hacker handle “Mudge.”
Zatko, who served as Twitter’s head of security until he was fired earlier this year, said in a complaint to U.S. officials that the company had inadequate cybersecurity defenses and had fake accounts spreading disinformation. It claimed it misled regulators about its failure to eradicate.
In a letter to Twitter’s chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, Zatko’s allegations provide additional grounds for termination if the July termination notice is “determined to be invalid for any reason.” says.
Billionaire Musk has spent months claiming the company he agreed to buy underestimated fake and spam accounts. Musk’s decision to drop the deal sets the stage for a high-stakes legal battle in October.