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First court hearing opens in Musk, Twitter buyout battle

The Tesla CEO had earlier asked the court to push it back to next year

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The court battle between Elon Musk and Twitter kicked off on Tuesday, as the social media firm tries to force the entrepreneur to honour their $44 billion buyout deal.

The first hearing will centre on Twitter's push to set a trial date for as early as September in a case that has massive stakes for both parties.

Earlier Musk had asked a Delaware court Friday to reject a bid by Twitter to put their $44 billion merger lawsuit on trial in September, instead asking to push it back until next year.

In a court document cited by US media, Musk's lawyers accused Twitter's board of directors of wanting to expedite the case.

Twitter is suing Musk for breaching the contract he signed to buy the tech firm, calling his exit strategy "a model of hypocrisy."

The suit filed in the US state of Delaware urges the court to order the billionaire to complete his deal to buy Twitter, arguing that no financial penalty could repair the damage he has caused.

The social media giant wants to hold the trial in September so as not to prolong the period of uncertainty currently threatening the company.

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