Musk faces second day of questioning in SolarCity trial

Tesla CEO Elon Musk faces his second day of questioning in a trial looking into the financial health of SolarCity in 2016 before his electric vehicle company purchased it for $2.6bn.

Shareholders of SolarCity sued Musk, alleging that Tesla’s acquisition of the solar installer amounted to a bailout and a deal that was pushed by the billionaire as he appeared to control the board.

The trial was expected to last two weeks. On the first day of the trial, on Monday, Musk failed to answer all of the attorney’s questions.

On Monday, Musk denied pressuring the Tesla board to go through with the deal. He also said that SolarCity had the capacity to raise funds and its acquisition was not a bailout.

The plaintiffs’ attorney Randy Baron showed clips of the CEO’s 2019 deposition in which he calls the lawsuit a waste of time and said the attorney was a ‘shameful person’. Baron claimed that the conduct was “not for some benefit of Tesla or some benefit to achieve something” and alleged Musk was being derisive.

“I think you are a bad human being,” Musk retorted. He said Baron was “mentored by criminals, then continued to be mentored by criminals.”

“That is why I do not respect you,” Musk said. “I have great respect for the court, but not for you, sir.”

If Tesla loses the lawsuit, Elon Musk could have to pay over $2bn.