Elon Musk

2022 - 4 - 25

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Image courtesy of "New Scientist"

Elon Musk buying Twitter has set him up for a scuffle with the EU (New Scientist)

Billionaire Elon Musk wants to promote free speech on Twitter, but the European Union's Digital Services Act could see the bloc calling the shots.

In that case, the DSA could let Musk allow the return of people who have previously been banned. “Potentially, Elon Musk’s Twitter and the changes he’s said he’d like to see are more aligned with what’s in the DSA than Twitter’s current business plans,” says Max Beverton-Palmer at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Musk has previously said he intends to make Twitter’s recommendation algorithm open-sourced, which would allow users to better understand why they are presented with particular content. “Elon, there are rules,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times today.

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Will Elon Musk's $150 Billion Tesla Margin Debt Benefit Bill Gates? (Forbes)

To complete his $44 billion Twitter deal, Musk's margin loans could top $150 billion — eroding Tesla shares and further enriching Bill Gates.

“The accepted bid puts a $5 billion-a-year advertising business into the hands of someone who has publicly questioned Twitter’s advertising business model,” noted the Journal. Musk will pay for Twitter through a combination of borrowing money and selling assets. What’s more, Tesla has been doing pretty well recently so the basis for shorting the stock is somewhat questionable. As Barron’s wrote, Musk used Twitter last Friday to express his belief that “Gates has sold short $500 million of Tesla shares. For that, you need look no further than how Musk — whose net worth Forbes estimates at $268.2 billion — will come up with the $44 billion in cash. They include stakes in rocket maker SpaceX and tunneling startup Boring Co.”

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Why is Elon Musk buying Twitter? Billionaire's net worth and Twitter ... (The Scotsman)

Get all of the latest Lifestyle news from The Scotsman. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

According to Forbes he is worth $269.7bn (£212bn), owning 21% of electric vehicle company Tesla with Musk’s company, SpaceX, valued at £74bn. Elon Musk is the richest man in the world. How much is Elon Musk worth?

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Elon Musk's Twitter takeover expected to be agreed within hours (Sky News)

There is every chance that Twitter's board will have extracted an improved offer or terms from Elon Musk as an announcement on a deal is expected later on ...

According to the media outlet, both sides met on Sunday to discuss the proposal - and the social network "is more likely than before to seek to negotiate". Musk argues that the social network needs to be taken private in order to grow and become a genuine platform for free speech. He has offered to buy the social network for $43bn (£33.5bn) and placed the right to uphold free speech at the forefront of his argument for a deal, accusing Twitter of failing its users to date.

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Twitter agrees Elon Musk takeover deal (The Guardian)

Tesla chief executive, the world's richest person, wins fight to take over influential social network for $44bn. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

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Twitter-Elon Musk news: Tesla boss tells 'worst critics' to stay on ... (The Independent)

The deal was announced by the social media platform on Monday after days of negotiations between the world's richest person and the Twitter board. Mr Musk will ...

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Twitter accepts Elon Musk's $44bn takeover offer (Financial Times)

Tesla chief says free speech is 'bedrock' of democracy as board declares deal 'best path forward'

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Elon Musk: How did the billionaire Tesla CEO make his money and ... (Evening Standard)

The PayPal and SpaceX founder is estimated to have a net worth of $264.6 billion, making him the richest man in the world. But how did Elon Musk become a ...

He joined Tesla in 2004 and became its CEO in 2008. Elon has said he arrived in Canada with CA$2,500 and paid his own way through college, ending up with $100,000 of student debt. He is said to have acquired emeralds from the mine for six years–employing a cutter in Johannesburg and selling the gems. In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer, which has been valued at $74 billion. Elon Musk has made billions from various business ventures - from founding PayPal and SpaceX to becoming the CEO of Tesla. His net worth is also based on his shares in Tesla, as he owns around 24%. According to Business Insider, Errol sold an aeroplane for £80,000 and with the cash in his hand, he was asked if he wanted to buy half an emerald mine for half the money–£40,000.

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Twitter reaches deal to sell to Elon Musk for about $44 billion (knkx.org)

The sale caps a dizzying saga for Twitter and Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a prolific user of the social media platform.

"The Twitter Board conducted a thoughtful and comprehensive process to assess Elon's proposal with a deliberate focus on value, certainty, and financing. Last week, Musk announced he had lined up the money to take Twitter private. But lack of details about how Musk would finance the deal left many doubting he was serious. Musk began accumulating Twitter shares in January. On April 4, he revealed that he'd become the company's biggest individual shareholder. Twitter's board quickly adopted a so-called "poison pill," which served essentially as a speed bump, a way to slow down Musk from acquiring more shares in the public market, as company leadership weighed the offer. "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," he said in the announcement Monday.

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What is Elon Musk's net worth? How much money Tesla founder has ... (iNews)

Twitter and Musk negotiated into the early hours of Monday morning, the 'New York Times' reported, less than two weeks after the billionaire first revealed ...

Musk grew up in South Africa, before moving to Canada at the of age 17. The 50-year-old’s rise up the list of the world’s richest people has been meteoric. His net worth hit a high of $340bn in November 2021.” He owns 21 per cent of Tesla but has pledged more than half his stake as collateral for loans. As of 14 April Forbes says he is worth $269.7bn (£212bn). The company issued new shares made available to current shareholders, excluding Mr Musk, that are worth double.

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Twitter: Why Elon Musk has been so keen on taking control (BBC News)

The billionaire has called for a series of changes from relaxing Twitter's content restrictions to eradicating fake accounts.

Musk's Twitter would be a very different landscape for the 300 million people who continue to use it, if indeed they do. He likes to test boundaries and break rules. Perhaps the board was unnerved by Musk's declaration that he wanted to see more "free speech" and less moderation. Twitter users may decide they prefer for their data to not be used to monetise them and they're willing to pay for that - but it's a gamble. Twitter's main business model is ad-based - and Musk wants to change that. He has plenty of that already, and multi-billionaires can afford to have different priorities.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Elon Musk strikes deal to buy Twitter for $44bn (BBC News)

Mr Musk, who made the shock bid just over a week ago, said he would "unlock" the social media firm's potential.

However, he will take on a company with a chequered record of financial performance. Mr Musk's targeting of Twitter has moved at remarkable speed. It has drawn critics from left and right over its efforts to mediate misinformation on the platform. However, its stance shifted after Mr Musk revealed more financial details about his proposed bid. He has the power to do with the company as he pleases. He also leads the aerospace firm SpaceX. He has secured $25.5bn of financing for the deal and will take a $21bn stake in the business. Mr Musk has said he doesn't "care about the economics" of the purchase. News of the takeover has been cheered by the right in the US, although Mr Trump on Monday told Fox News he had no plans to re-join the platform. Mr Musk has suggested this will give him freedom to make the changes he wants to the business. "Twitter has tremendous potential - I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it." "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," Mr Musk said in a statement announcing the deal.

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Twitter announces company will be sold to Tesla titan Elon Musk for ... (The Independent)

Entrepreneur will pay $54.20 cash per share and deal expected to close in 2022.

And she added: “Our concerns are not new. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The proposed transaction will deliver a substantial cash premium, and we believe it is the best path forward for Twitter’s stockholders,” said Bret Taylor, Twitter’s independent board chair. In a statement the company said that the deal had “been unanimously approved by the Twitter board of directors” and that it was expected to close in 2022, if approved by shareholders. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Mr Musk said in the company statement. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”

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Image courtesy of "Wired.co.uk"

Elon Musk Reaches Deal to Buy Twitter for $44 Billion (Wired.co.uk)

His weeks-long pursuit of the company has ended. But how did it happen, and what the hell comes next?

On the same day that he lodged his bid to take over the entirety of Twitter and take it private, Musk appeared at a TED talk in Vancouver, where he laid out his vision. “I believe in [Twitter’s] potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy,” he wrote. The result ends prolonged speculation over Musk’s financial interest in Twitter. On April 4, the entrepreneur’s 9.2 percent stake in the company—or 73.5 million shares at a cost of around $2.4 billion—was disclosed to the public.

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Elon Musk has paid over the odds to buy Twitter but it means he ... (iNews)

Misinformation experts fear the impact the billionaire's stewardship could have on upcoming US elections.

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Elon Musk and Twitter reach agreement for $44bn takeover (Sky News)

Although the agreement isn't the final step, the announcement means the Tesla founder is in the end game of acquiring the social media platform.

There are plenty in the tech industry who are agog at the money he has splashed out on a business that is yet to really show its true money-making worth. Dismiss the world’s man at your peril though. The boss of Tesla and SpaceX has a love-hate relationship with the social media platform, revelling in its opportunities for provocation and mischief-making but frustrated by what he sees as restrictive rules. Mr Musk added: "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. "Twitter has tremendous potential - I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it." Twitter has reached an agreement for billionaire Elon Musk to buy the social media platform in a $44bn (£34.6bn) deal.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Why did Elon Musk buy Twitter? (The Washington Post)

Elon Musk has said he wants to promote free and open speech on the service, which he has said he sees as an essential place for sharing viewpoints.

Here’s what he’s said about his plan and how fast he could change things. Musk offered $54.20 per share for Twitter and outlined his plan to secure $46.5 billion to finance his deal.

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Elon Musk bought Twitter. Here's what he says he'll do next (NPR)

Before Twitter accepted Musk's $44 billion offer, he has floated numerous ideas for changing the social network. Not all of those proposals have been ...

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Image courtesy of "Forbes"

Could Elon Musk's Twitter Deal Give China Influence Over The Site? (Forbes)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk celebrating the opening of the carmaker's Shanghai plant on Jan. 7, 2020. Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images. As the world sorts out the ...

Early this year Tesla also opened a showroom in China’s Xinjiang province, where the government is accused of carrying out an assimilation program and operating internment camps for ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups. Tesla began building Model Ys and Model 3s last week, under strict protocols that included having workers temporarily live at the plant and not returning to their homes. It seems to have worked as local companies including BYD and NIO have become fast-growing rivals to Tesla in that market with a range of attractive, compelling new electric models. Previously, global giants including General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota were required to partner with local Chinese companies, who typically owned a majority stake in joint-venture factories. While the country previously had no influence over Twitter, “that may have just changed” with Musk’s deal, Forsythe said in a tweet. In 2021 China became Tesla’s highest source of vehicle production and likely its second-biggest source of sales.

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Twitter takeover: EU warns Elon Musk must comply or face sanctions (The Guardian)

Internal market commissioner raised concerns that hate speech will increase on the platform.

Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a campaign group, said: “The UK and the EU are going to have tools to deal with this. Musk has said he favours temporary “time-outs” for users who breach Twitter’s policies, instead of outright bans. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness.” At first, Twitter’s board seemed opposed, enacting an anti-takeover measure known as a “poison pill” that could have made a takeover attempt prohibitively expensive. He is familiar with European rules on automotive, and will quickly adapt to the Digital Services Act.” Changes to its policies, features, and algorithms, big and small, can have disproportionate and sometimes devastating impacts, including offline violence,” she said.

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The pluses and minuses of Elon Musk's Twitter buyout | The Week UK (The Week UK)

Billionaire Elon Musk is set to buy Twitter for $44bn (£35bn) in a milestone moment for the 16-year-old social media platform.

So “if it were to crash (see: Netflix), Musk’s finances would get quite rickety, quickly”. Advertising currently accounts for nearly 90% of Twitter’s revenue, with data licensing providing most of the rest. The billionaire’s “willingness to spend a big chunk of his fortune on making Twitter more ‘inclusive’ follows a period in which it has tightened its content moderation”, The Economist said. Twitter had become an “abandoned building with graffiti in a bad neighbourhood”, Hayes said. Musk also polled his 85m Twitter followers earlier this month on whether they would want an edit button: nearly three-quarters of 4.4m who voted said yes. While supporters have praised Musk’s championing of free speech, others fear he will open the door to hate speech and misinformation.

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Twitter expected to accept Elon Musk's bid to buy company (The Independent)

Twitter had originally enacted an anti-takeover measure known as a poison pill that could scuppor a takeover attempt by making it too expensive, but apparently decided to negotiate following an updated proposal from Mr Musk. The board apparently wants to ...

And she added: “Our concerns are not new. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The proposed transaction will deliver a substantial cash premium, and we believe it is the best path forward for Twitter’s stockholders,” said Bret Taylor, Twitter’s independent board chair. In a statement the company said that the deal had “been unanimously approved by the Twitter board of directors” and that it was expected to close in 2022, if approved by shareholders. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Mr Musk said in the company statement. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”

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Image courtesy of "Metro"

Elon Musk closing in on Twitter as sources say it accepts £33bn bid (Metro)

But it seems like Musk, who already runs SpaceX and Tesla, will emerge victorious. Twitter is expected to announce the $54.20 (£42.54)-per-share deal later on ...

This deal would come just four days after Musk unveiled his financing package to back the acquisition. And, as a result of this latest news, Twitter’s shares were up to $51.15 in pre-market trading in New York on Monday. Musk, the world’s richest person, is negotiating to buy Twitter in a personal capacity and Tesla is not involved in the deal.

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Image courtesy of "Gizmodo"

Elon Musk Might Actually Buy Twitter, Like for Real (Gizmodo)

Twitter is gearing up to accept Musk's original $43 billion offer. Apparently he wasn't just trolling.

Musk first announced his offer to buy the social media company at around $54.20 per share on April 14. In premarket trading, they reached about $51.50 per share, but at the time of writing, had fallen to around $50.7. Although the deal is unconfirmed, both the Times and Reuters reported that sources tell them a deal could be finalized and made public later today. If Musk makes the purchase, Twitter would no longer be a publicly traded company, but instead, private. Important to point out though, it literally isn’t. The first amendment doesn’t protect anyone’s right to post on Twitter. Though Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, seemingly doesn’t understand that. Any moment now, a deal between between Twitter’s 11-member board and Elon Musk could be announced.

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Image courtesy of "Manchester Evening News"

Elon Musk's Twitter bid - why Tesla owner wants the platform and ... (Manchester Evening News)

Elon Musk is making a bid to buy social media giant Twitter. The billionaire owner of Tesla said he has lined up $46.5 billion in financing to buy the ...

Mr Musk has not given details of any changes he intends to make. Previously, he proposed dropping ads from the service and making its San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter. Mr Musk could sell Tesla stock to raise money for the sale, but that could hurt Tesla’s share price. But, he has hinted that he intends to scale back content moderation. Mr Musk is reportedly worth around $265 billion - but a lot of his money is tied up in stocks and shares. The billionaire owns about 17 per cent of Tesla, according to FactSet, which is valued at more than one trillion dollars.

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Elon Musk reaches agreement to acquire Twitter for about 44 billion ... (Winsford Guardian)

Elon Musk said last week that he has lined up 46.5 billion dollars (£36.2 billion) in financing to buy the social media company.

Eventually he became CEO and led the company to astronomical success as the world’s most valuable car maker and largest seller of electric vehicles. It was sold to eBay for 1.5 billion dollars in 2002. So obviously there are some limitations on free speech in the US, and, of course, Twitter would have to abide by those rules”. Mr Musk said last week that he had lined up 46.5 billion dollars in financing to buy Twitter, putting pressure on the company’s board to negotiate a deal. He used his share to create what would become PayPal, an internet service that bypassed banks and allowed consumers to pay businesses directly. It is unclear how much cash Mr Musk has.

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Elon Musk's Twitter takeover: what will change, is free speech at risk ... (The Guardian)

Billionaire's buyout of social media company reignites debate about leaving the platform but is it too soon to act – and where could you go?

The easiest way to do that is through the “Settings and privacy” tab in the menu of the Twitter app. It really comes down to why you used Twitter in the first place. It’s partially why Musk might have been motivated to buy Twitter rather than starting his own social media site, like others, including Trump, have attempted. If you’ve stuck with what many people call “the hell site” for this long, it’s questionable whether Musk taking it over will be some sort of final straw. The Guardian asked Twitter what data was retained once a user permanently deletes their account. Musk has suggested he is a “free speech absolutist”.

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From punchline to deal in under 2 weeks: how Elon Musk won his ... (Financial Times)

Tesla boss convinced Wall Street sceptics to back his $44bn takeover offer.

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Jeff Bezos questions China's influence over Elon Musk's Twitter (The Guardian)

Amazon founder raises concerns after Tesla boss strikes $44bn deal to buy social media platform.

The Musk takeover has been unexpected and controversial among Twitter employees. The tweet said China may now have a way of holding leverage over “My own answer to this question is probably not.

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Elon Musk news - latest: Dogecoin price shoots up after Twitter ... (The Independent)

The deal was announced by the social media platform on Monday after days of negotiations between the world's richest person and the Twitter board.

“We will find a way to bring Elon in for a Q&A... We don’t have all the answers. And she added: “Our concerns are not new. Changes to its policies, features, and algorithms, big and small, can have disproportionate and sometimes devastating impacts, including offline violence,” Deborah Brown, a digital rights researcher, told Reuters. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. This is a period of uncertainty.” After Elon Musk for around $44bn, the platform’s former chief and co-founder Jack Dorsey has called the billionaire’s takeover of the company the “singular solution” he trusts.

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Jeff Bezos accuses Elon Musk of being in pocket of CHINESE ... (Daily Mail)

Jeff Bezos on Monday questioned whether Elon Musk's business interests in China - the country is the second-largest market for Teslas, and supplies many ...

She then linked to an Insider article from March 27, which detailed the stories of several critics and an employee who were retaliated against for criticizing Musk and his companies. Co-founder Jack Dorsey (right) holds a board seat, but is expected to give it up in May After all, the new owner did just spend $44 billion to buy it,' one user said. Should this place become more toxic, I pledge to strive even harder to lift up reason, science, compassion and the rule of law. Tesla will do nothing to stop them.' Reiner appeared to be referring to Donald Trump, who was banned by Twitter in January 2021 after being accused of stoking the Capitol riot. Every post you make here is free content to enrich one man, Elon Musk. He is completely in control and answers to no one. 'Twitter workers have all the leverage right now don't squander it being scared. The struggle against fascism, misinformation, and hate requires tough fighters' The struggle against fascism, misinformation, and hate requires tough fighters. 'I would like this to be my what lies here as my last tweet. 'My own answer to this question is probably not.

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