Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk stated in court that he ultimately paid the full $44 billion price for Twitter in 2022 primarily because his legal team believed the Delaware judge overseeing the case was unlikely to rule in his favor.

Musk made these remarks during a trial in San Francisco involving investor claims that his public comments during the chaotic acquisition process misled the market. According to reports, Musk indicated that after Delaware Chancery Court Chief Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick issued several pretrial rulings that appeared to favor the company, his attorneys warned him that continuing to litigate against Twitter could prove counterproductive.

"The lawyers said there was no choice," Musk told jurors, explaining his decision to ultimately complete the deal after months of attempting to withdraw from it.

The trial revisits the dramatic period in 2022 when Musk repeatedly questioned the transaction, even suggesting at one point that the deal was "on hold." Some investors now argue that these statements influenced trading decisions and caused financial losses when Musk finally acquired the company at $54.20 per share.