Billionaire Elon Musk successfully had a lawsuit dismissed in which former Twitter employees sought $500 million in severance payments following his acquisition of the social media company, now known as X. The lawsuit alleged that Musk declined to pay employees the severance they were entitled to under Twitter's plan after the acquisition. However, U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled that the claims did not fall under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), so she lacked jurisdiction and dismissed the claims. The judge explained that since the plan only promised cash payments and did not involve an ongoing administrative scheme, ERISA did not apply. Musk is also facing other lawsuits related to his acquisition of Twitter, including claims from former executives seeking severance payments. Musk maintains that the mass layoffs at Twitter were necessary to prevent bankruptcy.