Elon Musk Settles To Pay $10,000 To Indian-American Critic Randeep Hothi For Defamatory Remarks

Elon Musk has agreed to pay his Indian-American opponent, Randeep Hothi, $10,000 to settle a defamation claim that the Tesla CEO had slandered him with false claims that he had threatened the company's workers. Here's what happened:

Elon Musk Will Pay $10,000 To An Indian American Critic For A Defamation Lawsuit

Reuters

In an email to a tech editor in 2019, Musk allegedly accused Hothi of "almost" killing Tesla employees, sparking an internet hate campaign, according to the lawsuit.Hothi stated, "I feel vindicated," adding that the case wasn't about obtaining notoriety or money.

After gaining a following on Twitter with the handle "Skabooshka" and criticising the company's shaky Model 3 car production in 2018, Hothi engaged Tesla in a legal dispute in California.?

In another tweet, he wrote, "I never "actively harassed" or "almost killed" anyone. I sued Musk for defamation. I made clear it wasn’t about money, and told him I would dismiss the lawsuit if he would simply apologize. But Musk decided to try to get the case dismissed."

He also informed, "In 2021, the trial judge ruled that I had shown a likelihood of success at trial, slapping down Musk’s protest that his allegations against me were all "free speech". Musk appealed, and all three appellate judges agreed that my lawsuit should be permitted to proceed."

Tesla requested a restraining order against Hothi in 2019

Reuters

Hothi grew up close to the Tesla facility in Fremont, where he used drones and cameras to track industrial output. His on-the-ground study attracted the interest of many firms.?

Tesla requested a restraining order against Hothi in 2019 on the grounds that he was allegedly stalking the company's plant and harassing its workers, including by allegedly veering his car into a Model 3 that was out for a test drive on the motorway and injuring a Tesla security guard in a hit-and-run accident on company property.

Elon Musk had also tweeted around that time, "My commitment:- We will never seek victory in a just case against us, even if we will probably win.- We will never surrender/settle an unjust case against us, even if we will probably lose."?

Tesla discontinued its lawsuit when Hothi refuted those accusations, but Hothi claimed in a defamation action filed in 2020 that Musk's public criticism of him sparked an online campaign accusing him of being "a liar, a murderer, a terrorist, and a deranged maniac."?

Hothi tweeted about being exonerated and stated in a statement released by his attorneys on Monday that the settlement accomplishes his goal of clearing his name.

“In March 2023, Musk asked me to settle. I believe my work is now vindicated,” he tweeted. “For several reasons, I have decided to accommodate Musk (for a modest $10k). I now join the rest of you who are watching his public meltdown in real time.”

One of Hothi's solicitors, Gil Sperlein, said that his client had accepted Musk's offer to resolve the dispute. Hothi has dropped the lawsuit, according to a court filing on Monday, although the details of the settlement are not made public.

Alameda County Superior Court in Hayward was supposed to hold the trial this year.?

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