New York: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has agreed to pay $10,000 to resolve a defamation claim made against him by Randeep Hothi, an Indian-American Sikh critic and independent researcher.
Hothi, a doctoral student in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan, had filed a defamation case against Musk in 2020, alleging that the billionaire businessman falsely accused him of actively harassing and "almost killing" Tesla employees.
Following a lengthy and hard-fought litigation, in March 2023, Musk asked Hothi to settle the case.
"This case was about taking a stand, not seeking fame or money. I feel vindicated," said Hothi, announcing that he accepted Musk's settlement offer in a statement. "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."
In 2018, Hothi began to monitor Tesla's manufacturing at its Fremont, California, factory while posing as a social activist. In April 2019, Tesla filed a restraining order against Hothi, claiming that the latter struck an employee with his car in a parking area of the Tesla factory. Hothi fiercely rejected the claim.
When Hothi and his legal team successfully obtained a court order requiring Tesla to hand over video evidence of the alleged encounter, Tesla abruptly dropped its lawsuit in July 2019. Yet the following month, Musk e-mailed a reporter accusing Hothi of "actively harassing" and "almost kill(ing)" Tesla employees.
Musk's accusations prompted an outpouring of public support for Hothi, including from whistleblowers, researchers, journalists, and critics.