Tech

Lawyers seeking $6 billion fee from Elon Musk

Published

1 year ago

March 2, 2024

Ahron Young

The legal team responsible for voiding Elon Musk’s mammoth $56 billion compensation package is now seeking an unprecedented $6 billion in legal fees.

The three law firms involved justified their request in a filing with the Court of Chancery in Delaware, citing the monumental effort and risk involved in challenging Musk’s compensation package, which was deemed excessive by a Delaware judge in January.

“We recognise that the requested fee is unprecedented in terms of absolute size,” the firms stated, adding that the fee equates to an astronomical hourly rate of $288,888.

Musk swiftly condemned the request as “criminal,” taking to his platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to express outrage: “The lawyers who did nothing but damage Tesla want $6 billion.”

Neither Tesla nor Musk’s attorney have responded to requests for comment.

Pay packet

The legal battle stems from a lawsuit filed by shareholder Richard Tornetta in 2018, which led to the nullification of Musk’s lucrative pay package.

The electric vehicle manufacturer could be on the hook for the hefty fee as it stands to benefit from the return of Musk’s compensation, which includes a staggering 266 million shares.

“This structure has the benefit of linking the award directly to the benefit created and avoids taking even one cent from the Tesla balance sheet to pay fees,” the lawyers argued, emphasising that the fee would be tax-deductible to Tesla.

Judge Kathaleen McCormick, overseeing the case, had previously described Musk’s pay as “unfathomable” in her ruling.

However, Tesla may contest the fee, given a similar fee request in a separate case concerning pay for its directors.

Legal compensation

The proposed fee, if granted, would set a new record in legal compensation, surpassing even the $688 million awarded to attorneys in a 2008 securities fraud case involving Enron Corp.

As the Delaware Supreme Court weighs an appeal regarding a $267 million fee in a case involving Dell Technologies, the issue of attorney compensation in high-stakes litigation continues to be a subject of debate.

Critics argue that as settlements and judgments increase in size, attorneys should receive a declining percentage to prevent overcompensation.

The legal team behind the Musk case contends that their requested fee represents around 11% of the judgment.

Tech

Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of Elon Musk’s X

Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of X following merger with xAI and internal financial conflicts.

Published

24 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Ahron Young

Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of X following merger with xAI and internal financial conflicts.

In Short:
Linda Yaccarino has resigned as CEO of X after the merger with xAI, facing challenges in shifting focus to AI and tensions with the new CFO. Despite some revenue recovery and improved advertiser relationships, ongoing content moderation issues and Musk’s heavy involvement in decisions complicate the platform’s operations.

Linda Yaccarino has announced her resignation as CEO of X, following the merger with xAI. Her tenure has faced challenges, particularly after the integration of the chatbot company into X, which shifted focus towards artificial intelligence over traditional social media growth.

Investor interest has increasingly gravitated towards AI potential. Tensions arose between Yaccarino and new CFO Reza Banki, who was hired to address financial issues and originally replaced Yaccarino’s finance head.

Banki reportedly pressured her regarding spending on celebrity content. Yaccarino viewed the return of some advertisers and the revenue changes resulting from the merger as an appropriate time to step down.

Broader platform

In her post about her departure, she expressed gratitude to Elon Musk for the opportunity to lead and transform X into a broader service platform. Musk acknowledged her contributions through a social media post.

Yaccarino, who took over in 2023, dealt with initial advertiser concerns related to content moderation and Musk’s management style. Despite challenges, including threatening brands to encourage them back to the platform, she made strides in rebuilding ad relationships and fostering new advertising opportunities.

Financial improvements have been noted, with X reporting adjusted earnings growth and revenue recovery efforts reflecting progress. However, the platform continues to deal with content moderation issues, especially after recent controversial comments from the chatbot, highlighting ongoing operational challenges.

Tech

Amazon extends Prime Day to week-long sales event

Amazon extends Prime Day to a week, aiming for higher sales and new Prime memberships amid consumer tariff concerns.

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2025

Ahron Young

Amazon extends Prime Day to a week, aiming for higher sales and new Prime memberships amid consumer tariff concerns.

In Short:
Amazon is extending Prime Day to a full week to boost sales and attract new members, with projections of $12.9 billion in U.S. sales. The longer event allows for more advertising opportunities and themed discount days to entice shoppers amidst declining consumer confidence.

Amazon is extending Prime Day to a full week, aiming to attract more shoppers and gain new Prime members. The promotion, starting Tuesday, is projected to generate $12.9 billion in U.S. sales, a 53% increase from last year.

Previously a one-day event offering significant discounts, Prime Day has expanded, now including themed days like book day and pet day. Sales growth during Prime Day has slowed, remaining in single digits recently, prompting Amazon to innovate with discounts year-round.

Shoppers are expected to look for bargains on electronics and goods potentially affected by tariffs this year, reflecting declining consumer confidence. Brandon Fuhrmann, a third-party seller, expects to see notable sales but cannot predict demand due to the promotion’s length. He anticipates outpacing regular July sales, even toward the end of the week. The longer event increases advertising opportunities, contributing to Amazon’s growing advertising revenue, which exceeds $50 billion annually.

Many sellers plan to invest heavily in advertisements to outperform competitors during this extended period. Ryan Close, CEO of Bartesian, intends to use the event to test Amazon’s advertising tools and attract attention to his products with significant discounts.

Amazon aims to recruit new subscribers for its $139 annual Prime membership, promoting benefits like rapid shipping and streaming services.

Tech

Trump retreats in tech war with China – But why?

Trump reverses software rule for semiconductors; is the U.S.-China tech war calming? Insights from Brad Gastwirth.

Published

7 days ago

July 4, 2025

Ahron Young

Trump reverses software rule for semiconductors; is the U.S.-China tech war calming? Insights from Brad Gastwirth.

In a stunning shift, the Trump administration has reversed a key rule restricting U.S. software used to design semiconductors.

Is the tech war with China cooling? Or is this just a calculated pause?

We ask Brad Gastwirth about the role of rare earths, diplomacy, and what it means for global chipmakers.

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