The plaintiffs chose to file their lawsuit in Delaware because Tesla is incorporated in the state. Delaware is known for its well-developed corporate law and has a specialized court system, the Delaware Court of Chancery, which focuses on corporate disputes. This makes it a popular choice for shareholder lawsuits, as the legal precedents and framework are well-established. In this case, the shareholders are alleging that Elon Musk and Tesla's board breached their fiduciary duties to the company by diverting resources to Musk's rival AI company, xAI.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Elon Musk and Tesla's board are represented by the Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund, as well as two individual shareholders, Daniel Hazen and Michael Giampietro. They are filing the lawsuit on behalf of Tesla itself.
The primary purpose behind the founding of Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, as stated in the lawsuit, is to understand "the true nature of the universe2." The company was founded in 2023 with a focus on developing advanced artificial intelligence systems.