Clive Palmer has used expletives in a vicious email warning to Queensland Nickel managing director Clive Mensink that he could ruin "everything", a court has heard.
Mr Palmer was on Monday questioned in the Federal Court about an email exchange with his nephew, Mr Mensink, last November as Queensland Nickel slid towards collapse.
The email made reference to a "letter to treasurer", and Mr Palmer went on to tell Mr Mensink: "I told you what to do. Do it. Do not send me anything to cover your arse or you f*** everything. Do not contact me by email again".
Tom Sullivan QC, acting for special purpose liquidators PPB Advisory, asked Mr Palmer what he wanted Mr Mensink to cover his arse about.
"I'm not sure," Mr Palmer replied.
Asked what Mr Palmer had told his nephew to do, Mr Palmer said he could not say without seeing attachments to the email, which were missing.
Asked what he meant by warning Mr Mensink might "f*** everything", Mr Palmer replied: "I don't know until I see the context of the emails before and after".
Mr Palmer denied there was an agreement with his nephew to keep their communications largely oral, but said sometimes face-to-face interactions worked better.
The former federal MP has just wrapped up a second day giving evidence about the scope of his role at Queensland Nickel, which failed earlier this year with the loss of almost 800 Townsville refinery jobs and debts of about $300 million.
Liquidators are trying to show Mr Palmer acted as a shadow director of the company alongside Mr Mensink, who was its sole appointed director.
Mr Palmer denies that claim, which, if proven, could see him held liable if the company's found to have continued to trade at a point when it could no longer cover its debts.
Those debts include about $70 million shelled out by the federal government to cover the entitlements of sacked refinery workers.
Mr Palmer is expected to return to court to face further questioning on Thursday.
