That angered Musk, who said a team of engineers worked very hard to build the sub to save the boys. Despite Musk’s status as one of the richest people on the planet, his net worth is largely illiquid. Musk’s wealth is an issue at the trial because a jury may consider evidence of his net worth in determining punitive damages. But Musk’s lawyers argued in court papers that the jury can’t award more in punitive damages than in compensatory damages. There is no way the jury would award more than $1 billion in compensation, so Musk’s net worth exceeding that isn’t relevant, the lawyers said.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 04, 2019 22:07 UTC