Elon Musk to face deposition by Twitter lawyers ahead of trial

Elon Musk is scheduled to spend the next few days with lawyers for Twitter, answering questions ahead of an October trial that will determine whether he must carry through with his $44bn agreement to acquire the social platform after attempting to back out of the deal.

The deposition, planned for Monday, Tuesday and a possible extension on Wednesday, will not be public. As of Sunday evening it was not clear whether Musk will appear in person or by video.

Musk indicated in July that he wanted to back away from the deal, prompting Twitter to file a lawsuit to force him to carry through with the acquisition for $54.20 per share.

Musk wants a judge to allow him to walk away from the agreement without penalty.

The trial over the purchase is set to begin 17 October in Delaware Chancery court, and is expected to last just five days.