Tesla CEO Elon Musk has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a defamation case introduced in opposition to him by Indian-American Sikh critic and unbiased researcher, Randeep Hothi.

Hothi, a doctoral pupil in Asian Languages and Cultures on the University of Michigan, had filed a defamation case in opposition to Musk in 2020, alleging that the billionaire businessman falsely accused him of actively harassing and “almost killing” Tesla staff.

Following a prolonged and hard-fought litigation, in March 2023, Musk requested Hothi to settle the case.

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“This case was about taking a stand, not seeking fame or money. I feel vindicated,” mentioned Hothi, saying that he accepted Musk’s settlement provide in a press release.

“I brought this case to defend my work, clear my name, and send a message… I believe I’ve accomplished that, thanks in no small part to Musk, whose own behaviour over the last year has highlighted the need to scrutinise his every word and deed.”

D. Gill Sperlein, certainly one of Hothi’s legal professionals, mentioned: “Last year, Musk famously promised that he would never ‘settle an unjust case’. Yet, he has asked Hothi to accommodate him. We welcome Musk’s belated acknowledgment that this case was just.”

Hothi locked horns with Tesla after he created the @skabooshka Twitter account the place he fact-checked Musk and his firm’s printed claims relating to the electrical car producer’s automation, know-how and manufacturing processes.

Beginning in 2018, Hothi, donning the position of a social activist, noticed Tesla’s manufacturing at its Fremont, California-based manufacturing facility.

He additionally documented the development of Tesla’s Model 3 meeting line tent, sharing images of his Twitter followers.

In April 2019, Tesla sought a restraining order in opposition to Hothi, alleging that the latter struck an worker along with his automotive in a Tesla manufacturing facility car parking zone — an accusation that Hothi vehemently denied.

When Hothi and his authorized workforce efficiently obtained a court docket order requiring Tesla at hand over video proof of the alleged encounter, Tesla abruptly dropped its lawsuit in July 2019.

Yet the next month, Musk e-mailed a reporter accusing Hothi of “actively harassing” and “almost kill(ing)” Tesla staff.

That comment was later printed and amplified to a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals on Twitter.

Musk’s accusations prompted an outpouring of public assist for Hothi, together with from whistleblowers, researchers, journalists, and critics.

In August 2020, represented by Sperlein, Hothi filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to Musk based mostly on his remarks.

Musk tried to eliminate the case by arguing that his accusations had been protected speech, and therefore ought to be dismissed below California’s anti-SLAPP regulation.

In January 2021, the trial court docket rejected Musk’s arguments, holding that Hothi “has demonstrated the probability that he can succeed on the merits of his claim” as a result of Musk’s remarks had been tantamount to an accusation of crime, and thus legally constituted defamation per se.

Hothi accepted Musk’s settlement provide on April 30, and is anticipated to request dismissal of the case on May 1, pursuant to the phrases of the settlement settlement.