Elon Musk’s Third Termination Notice to Twitter Focuses on Whistleblower’s Severance Package

Elon Musk’s lawyers have sent a third termination notice to Twitter to end his $44 billion acquisition deal with the company, this time objecting to Twitter paying a severance package to its former security head Peiter “Mudge” Zatko in June. Zatko recently came out with an explosive whistleblower against the complaint alleging terrible security practices and not paying serious attention to the problem of bots and other fake accounts.

TechCrunch reports that Elon Musk’s lawyers have sent yet another termination letter to Twitter to end his $44 billion acquisition deal to purchase the social media firm. In the latest filing with the SEC, Musk’s lawyers objected to Twitter paying out a severance package to the company’s former head of security, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko who recently filed a whistleblower complaint against the company.

Musk’s lawyers are arguing that the payment of a severance package to Zatko violated a clause in the acquisition agreement. The notice sent to Twitter states that the deal agreement had a condition that the social network could not pay any non-ordinary severance or termination payments to “Company Service Provider” including ex-employees.

Breitbart News previously reported that Twitter negotiated a $7 million severance with Zatko, who was fired from the company in January 2022. Zatko reportedly signed a nondisclosure agreement upon leaving but it allowed him o speak about the company through whistleblower complaints and congressional hearings. Zatko has since filed a whistleblower complaint relating to allegations of poor security at Twitter and lies by executives.

Following Zatko’s allegations, Musk sent his second termination notice citing details revealed by Zatko that he was not aware of. Musk’s legal team also sent a subpoena to Zatko seeking a deposition and documents.

Twitter responded to Musk’s most recent notice by stating that the letter is “invalid and wrongful,” and that the company has not breached any terms of the acquisition agreement.

Read more at TechCrunch here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan