On April 28, 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, settled a lawsuit with one of his most vocal critics, Randy Pritchard, for $10,000. The lawsuit stems from allegations that Musk and Tesla engaged in a smear campaign against Pritchard, who had been critical of the company’s practices.

Pritchard is a former Tesla owner and a frequent critic of the company. He runs the Tesla Owners Silicon Valley group, which has over 1,000 members. Pritchard has been vocal about his concerns regarding Tesla’s handling of customer complaints, particularly with regards to quality control issues.

In 2018, Pritchard published a blog post titled “Tesla’s Culture of Arrogance” in which he criticized the company’s practices. Musk responded by calling Pritchard a “shill” for Big Oil and accusing him of being a Tesla short-seller. Musk’s accusations were later proven to be false.

Pritchard filed a lawsuit against Musk and Tesla in 2019, alleging that the company engaged in a smear campaign against him. The lawsuit claimed that Tesla employees created a fake Twitter account under Pritchard’s name and used it to spread false information about him. The lawsuit also alleged that Musk and Tesla tried to have Pritchard banned from Tesla’s forums.

The case was set to go to trial in May 2022, but the settlement was reached just weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin. As part of the settlement, Musk and Tesla admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to pay Pritchard $10,000.

The settlement has sparked mixed reactions, with some criticizing Musk for engaging in a smear campaign against a critic and others arguing that the settlement amount was too low. Pritchard has stated that he is satisfied with the settlement and hopes that it will encourage Tesla to improve its practices.

This is not the first time that Musk has been accused of engaging in a smear campaign against critics. In 2018, he called a British diver who helped rescue a soccer team from a flooded cave in Thailand a “pedo guy” on Twitter after the diver criticized Musk’s efforts to help with the rescue. Musk later apologized and settled a defamation lawsuit filed by the diver for an undisclosed amount.

The settlement with Pritchard highlights the growing concern over the power of tech CEOs and their ability to influence public opinion. As more and more people rely on social media for news and information, the actions of tech executives like Musk can have a significant impact on public perception of companies and individuals.

In the end, the settlement with Pritchard serves as a reminder that even powerful CEOs like Musk are not above the law and must be held accountable for their actions. It also highlights the importance of transparency and ethical behavior in the tech industry, where the line between truth and fiction can sometimes become blurred.