The jury found that Musk’s claims were filed outside of the statute of limitations, stating Musk had three years to sue and did not file on time.
In a statement outside the Oakland courthouse one of Musk’s lawyers, Marc Toberoff, said that this sets an entirely new precedent in Silicon Valley where start-ups can accrue funding as nonprofits and then change their status.
While the $134 billion spat wrapped up inside, a different fight was being platformed outside of the courthouse.
Representatives from the organization One Fair Wage, which represents nearly 300,000 workers nationally, advocated for raising the minimum wage to 30 dollars by 2030.
Simone Harper, the organization's Northern California operations manager, says they were using the trial as a way to bring attention to their cause:
“There is no reason that this should get so much attention from the media, and us fighting for fair minimum wages for service workers, tipped service workers, gets none.”
Harper noted that many workers at Musk’s Tesla in Fremont, one of the counties they are targeting, still make under 30 dollars.
The measure just made it on to the November ballot in Berkeley. The group continues to gather signatures in other cities across Alameda County.
Note: This story was amended to more accurately characterize Harper's role.
