Dozens of Jurors Dismissed in Elon Musk's Twitter Trial After His Own Lawyer Admits Everyone Hates Him

In a civil trial involving Elon Musk, several potential jurors have been dismissed after admitting they hold strong negative opinions about him. The case, taking place in federal court in San Francisco, centers on a lawsuit from a group of investors who claim Musk misled them about the number of bot accounts on Twitter, now called X.

During jury selection, Musk’s attorney, Stephen Broome, told the court that many prospective jurors expressed clear bias against his client. Nearly 40 people were dismissed after acknowledging they could not remain impartial. Broome said the number of people who openly disliked Musk was unusually high, adding that jurors who express hatred in other cases would typically be removed.

The selection process lasted more than five hours. Out of 93 potential jurors, only nine were chosen.

The lawsuit focuses on Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter in 2022. Investors allege that Musk made misleading public statements about spam and fake accounts on the platform. On May 13, 2022, Musk posted that the deal was “on hold” due to concerns about bot accounts. Following that announcement, Twitter’s stock price fell, and investors claim they suffered financial losses as a result.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer acknowledged that Musk’s public profile makes jury selection more complicated. He noted that public figures often generate strong opinions and said the key issue is whether jurors can set those opinions aside and decide the case based only on the evidence presented in court.

The class action trial is scheduled to begin on March 2 and is expected to last about two weeks.