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Puck welcomes John Heilemann as its Chief Political Columnist!

Elon’s Secret Wall Street Pact

Elon Musk
Morgan Stanley is trying to protect documents related to Musk's stalled $44B Twitter deal. Photo: Mark Brake/Getty Images
Eriq Gardner
October 4, 2022

I may have to reconsider my opinion that the Delaware Court of Chancery—a high-cost legal arena that generates more billable hours and closed settlements than splashy headlines—is the place where journalism goes to die. Twitter v. Elon Musk is racing toward an Oct. 17 trial, and in the process both parties are dumping a treasure trove of documents into the public record. That includes a couple months of text messages showing how Musk once squinted at Sam Bankman-Fried as a potential partner and thirsted after Oprah Winfrey for a board seat. Where do I send The Honorable Kathaleen McCormick’s Pulitzer nomination?

But I’m not entirely satisfied. Right now, I’ve got my eyes on whether McCormick orders Morgan Stanley to turn over its documents related to the stalled $44 billion deal. The Wall Street bank, after all, was critical to helping Musk obtain financing to take Twitter private. No joke, 36 attorneys showed up last week to argue over whether Morgan Stanley should be compelled to share those documents. Plus, this particular discovery fight is both wonky and wacky—a combination I’ve grown to love.