A Free-Speech Case Tangles a Tech Billionaire, Twitter Troll

Almost from his first tweet back in October 2020, the Twitter user who called himself MrMoneybags left little doubt about his preferred targets—billionaires, most of whom made their fortunes in private equity.

But quickly, the anonymous poster seemed to fixate on one man: Brian Sheth, co-founder of Vista Equity Partners, the Austin-based investment firm renowned for bankrolling software and tech startups. Six tweets referencing Sheth—a 46-year-old who’s found the spotlight not only for his investment successes but also for his philanthropic support of environmental causes—included photos of young women in party dresses, at times with wink-and-a-nod captions.

“Brian Sheth ...