Paris Prosecutor's Office Launches Criminal Investigation Into X, Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino

The Paris prosecutor's office opened a criminal investigation on May 6 into the parent company of the social network X, its owner Elon Musk, and its former chief executive Linda Yaccarino. The office confirmed the step on May 7 and released a statement on Thursday evening detailing its request to investigating judges.

The latest legal step follows Musk's failure to respond to a summons by the Paris prosecutor's office to appear for a voluntary interview on April 20.

Around 10 executives from the American company had also been summoned during the process that began after national cyber prosecutors started probing numerous alleged abuses in a preliminary investigation since summer 2025. AI Holdings Corp, X Corp and X AI, as well as Musk and Yaccarino.

It stated it would charge the companies and individuals by summoning them to gather their comments or, in the event of non-compliance, by issuing a warrant equivalent to an indictment.

The Paris prosecutor's office statement said the procedure aims to uphold the law and to protect individuals who have been victims of criminal offenses, both online and in real life. Le Monde reported that Musk's no-show for the French judicial summons did not slow the inquiry. Elon Musk appeared before a federal court in Oakland, California, on April 30, 2026.

A photograph of Musk on that day was taken by Manuel Orbegozo and provided by Reuters. Le Monde reported the confirmation came two weeks after the missed April 20 summons. The Paris prosecutor's office had been advancing the case even as Musk faced separate legal proceedings in the United States that same month.