Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is facing a $258 billion lawsuit accusing him of operating a pyramid scheme to promote the popular cryptocurrency Dogecoin (DOGE). However, Musk and his legal team are now pushing to have the lawsuit dismissed, stating that the allegations are baseless and lacking in evidence.
The lawsuit was filed by a group of Dogecoin investors in June 2022, who claimed that Musk had used his enormous social media influence to artificially inflate the price of DOGE, causing them to suffer significant financial losses when the cryptocurrency’s value subsequently plummeted. The investors also accused Musk of manipulating the cryptocurrency market to his own advantage, calling his actions a “dogecoin hustle.”
However, according to a Reuters report from April 1, Musk’s lawyers have now requested that the lawsuit be dismissed on the grounds that it is a “fanciful work of fiction” with no factual basis. The hearing took place on March 31 in Manhattan’s federal court, where Musk’s legal team argued that the investors’ claims were entirely without merit and should be thrown out.
This is not the first time that Musk has faced legal action related to his involvement with cryptocurrencies. In 2018, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined him $20 million for allegedly misleading investors with tweets about taking Tesla private. The SEC also required Musk to step down as the chairman of Tesla’s board of directors.
Despite the legal challenges, Musk remains a high-profile figure in the world of cryptocurrencies, and his social media posts about DOGE and other digital assets continue to garner significant attention from both fans and detractors alike.
In recent years, Musk has publicly expressed his support for cryptocurrencies, particularly DOGE, which he has referred to as “the people’s crypto.” However, his statements have also been criticized for their potential to influence the market and create volatility.
Despite the controversy surrounding Musk’s involvement with cryptocurrencies, many investors and traders remain bullish on DOGE and other digital assets, viewing them as a potentially lucrative investment opportunity. Whether the lawsuit against Musk will ultimately be successful remains to be seen, but it is clear that the world of cryptocurrencies continues to be a hotbed of legal and regulatory challenges.
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