I congratulate Elon Musk and the lawyers on his team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan for their efforts to achieve a verdict for their client that spoke the truth. Alex Spiro and Bill Price are exceptional lawyers. Their efforts contributed greatly to the verdict that spoke the truth: Musk’s July 15, 2018, comments about Vernon Unsworth were nothing more and nothing less than an insult. Insults by definition do not convey fact. And truth, even in the hands of skilled lawyers, does not change.

In August of 2018, Musk posed a challenge in writing on Twitter, that if Unsworth did not sue over the his comments, then they must be true: “Don’t you think it is strange that he hasn’t sued me.” Based on that challenge, Unsworth had no choice except to sue. If Musk’s comments in response to Unsworth’s opinion expressed on CNN about his submarine could be construed as factual, the line was drawn and Unsworth’s quest to clear his name of any factual insinuations had to commence in a court of law—the ultimate forum for establishing truth. Unsworth had to have the courage and integrity to take on Goliath. When the lawyers for Unsworth committed to suing his case in a court of law, they knew that (1) Musk would have unlimited resources to hire the best lawyers available (and he did so by hiring Quinn Emanuel) and (2) Musk would never settle the case. Unsworth’s lawyers knew without any doubt that the pursuit of truth to clear Unsworth’s name would end either by motion or a jury trial in California.

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