Elon Musk’s surprise return to the bargaining table with Twitter this week may have merely been the opening salvo in the next stage of the protracted struggle over the future of the company.
On Thursday, Mr. Musk managed to slow Twitter’s lawsuit against him. He asked a judge to delay a trial that was set to begin in little more than a week and that could force him to make good on a deal he struck in April to acquire the company for $44 billion.
Kathaleen McCormick, the judge overseeing the case, granted Mr. Musk’s request, giving the billionaire three weeks to complete his purchase of Twitter.
The trial’s delay is the latest upheaval in what has become the most turbulent and closely watched corporate fight in years, pitting the outsize personality and wealth of Mr. Musk against Twitter, a company that despite its high profile has always struggled with management turmoil and profitability.
