Elon Musk

Tesla CEO speaks at Miami summit while his relationship with Twitter management sinks to new low.

And some of the spam accounts which are actually the most dangerous – and cause the most harm to our users – can look totally legitimate on the surface,” he wrote. Musk’s behavior, underlined by his comments in Miami, has prompted speculation that he is laying the groundwork to reprice the deal or walk away from it, which would carry the cost of a $1bn break fee for the world’s richest man. On Saturday Musk tweeted that Twitter’s legal team had accused him of violating a non-disclosure agreement by revealing that the sample size for the social media platform’s checks on automated users was 100. He added that some accounts that appear to be spam are in fact operated by real people. Musk has disputed Twitter’s assertion that less than 5% of its users are fake or spam accounts and has said he will carry out his own audit. Twitter has repeatedly stated in its quarterly results over the years that fewer than 5% of its users are spam or fake accounts.

Parag Agrawal said he had "confidence" in the company's estimates that less than 5% of users are spam, after Elon Musk temporarily paused his $44bn Twitter ...

BTW: open your data." Parag Agrawal said he had "confidence" in the company's estimates that less than 5% of users are spam. Parag Agrawal said he had "confidence" in the company's estimates that less than 5% of users are spam, after Elon Musk temporarily paused his $44bn Twitter takeover.

Mr. Musk has been creating confusion around whether the Twitter deal will close, causing the social media company's share price to fall.

Analysts have speculated that Mr. Musk has been trying to back out of the deal or renegotiate a lower price. Mr. Musk’s deal with Twitter also has a nondisparagement clause that prohibits him from tweeting negatively about the transaction. Tech company stocks have taken a beating since Mr. Musk first announced his acquisition of Twitter earlier this month. Last Friday, he tweeted that his purchase of Twitter was “temporarily on hold” until he could get more details about the volume of spam and fake accounts on the platform. He later followed up saying he was still “ committed” to the deal. Mr. Musk said that Twitter’s figure — less than 5 percent of all accounts — was difficult to believe.

Chief executive Parag Agrawal says the firm is confident that less than 5% of users are spam accounts.

and feels more to us like the 'dog ate the homework' excuse to bail on the Twitter deal or talk down a lower price," he said. That is less than the price of the stock before Mr Musk revealed his interest in the company and well below the $54.20 per share he has offered. Mr Musk last week said he had put the deal on hold pending information "supporting [the] calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users". Those theories were fuelled further on Monday, after Bloomberg reported that Mr Musk had said at a tech conference that a deal at a lower price was "not out of the question". He said the firm had shared an "overview" of its process with Mr Musk last week. The head of Twitter has hit back after Elon Musk said his $44bn deal to buy the platform was "on hold" while he sought details about fake accounts.

After a tweet from Elon Musk said his deal to buy Twitter is "temporarily on hold," company CEO Parag Agrawal is defending its calculations, saying internal ...

The error margins on our estimates give us confidence in our public statements each quarter.— Parag Agrawal (@paraga) May 16, 2022 “Our actual internal estimates for the last four quarters were all well under 5 percent,” Agrawal wrote on Twitter today. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal is pushing back against Elon Musk’s concerns around spam and bots on the platform, saying that Musk’s suggestion to measure the problem by performing a random sampling of 100 accounts wouldn’t work.

Last week, Mr Musk announced that his proposed takeover of the social media platform was “on hold” as he looked for more information about spam, bots and fake ...

Mr Musk’s new focus on Twitter bots began with a tweet last week, in which he linked to an article about Twitter filings that included the 5 per cent claim. In the thread, he said that Twitter estimated that the number of fake accounts was actually “well under” 5 per cent. Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

Amber Heard has said in court that billionaire Elon Musk donated $1m to two charities in her honour while they were dating, following her split from Johnny ...

The statement said: "While Ms. Heard's stories have continued to grow new and convenient details, Mr. Depp's recollections have remained exactly the same throughout the six painful years since her first allegations were made. I took far less than what they were offering and what I was entitled to." "And, the overwhelming evidence — the truth — is not on Depp's side." Ahead of the cross examination, a spokesperson for Heard said the the truth "is not on Depp's side". Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez, during the cross examination, accused Heard of getting Musk to pay part of what she promised to the two charities because she wanted to keep part of the settlement to herself. She explained that she promised the entirety of the settlement to charity because she wasn't interested in Depp's money.

Ahead of the Channel 4 documentary asking whether Elon Musk is a force for good or evil – find out about his love life history here…

More recently, Elon has been involved with singer Grimes. The couple began dating in 2018 and were together for three years before they parted ways in 2021. But, by the end of 2014, Elon had filed for divorce again and by 2016, the marriage was over. In 2012, Elon called off their marriage and filed for divorce.

"My offer was based on Twitter's SEC filings being accurate," Musk tweeted early Tuesday.

If many people independently get similar results for % of fake/spam/duplicate accounts, that will be telling. "Yesterday, Twitter's CEO publicly refused to show proof of <5%. This deal cannot move forward until he does." I'm open to better ideas." But Musk estimates that around 20% of the accounts on Twitter are fake or spam accounts and he's concerned that the number could be even higher. "Any sensible random sampling process is fine. - But Musk estimates that around 20% of the accounts on Twitter are fake or spam accounts and he's concerned that the number could be even higher.

The Tesla CEO also sent a smiling poo emoji to Twitter's boss Paraj Agrawal in response to a thread about fake accounts.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said the decision to halt was pending details of Twitter’s calculation that fake accounts are less than 5 per cent of its users. Agrawal said it has consistently estimated that less than 5 per cent of Twitter accounts are fake. Estimates for the last four quarters were all well under 5 per cent, he wrote.

The billionaire Tesla founder steps up his efforts to reduce the price tag he has agreed to pay for the social media platform by demanding Twitter publicly ...

It can't be some deep mystery that is, like, more complex than the human soul or something like that." Yesterday, Twitter's CEO publicly refused to show proof of under 5%. This deal cannot move forward until he does." Twitter estimates that the number of spam/fake accounts represent less than 5% of users but has admitted a constant battle to eliminate them. Elon Musk has warned his planned $44bn (£34.6bn) deal to buy Twitter will not move forward until the company's chief executive publicly shows proof the platform has less than 5% spam accounts. The billionaire Tesla founder steps up his efforts to reduce the price tag he has agreed to pay for the social media platform by demanding Twitter publicly declare a true figure for fake accounts. Elon Musk says Twitter has to show spam accounts are less than 5% for takeover to go ahead

Tesla CEO and world's richest person expressed concerns about presence of fake accounts on platform. Elon Musk is seen displayed on a smartphone with a ...

And some of the spam accounts which are actually the most dangerous – and cause the most harm to our users – can look totally legitimate on the surface,” he wrote. “The hard challenge is that many accounts which look fake superficially are actually real people. Agrawal explained that tackling automated spam accounts was a “dynamic” process that required fighting “sophisticated and hard to catch” actors.

The Tesla CEO, who last month offered $44billion for the tech platform, disputes their claims that bots represent around five per cent of their users.

So maybe he's (Elon Musk) paving the ground for pulling out of the deal. 'But the timing is curious given the lengths he'd gone to to secure financing for the deal. 'And the Twitter board have been held hostage and only have themselves to blame for this mess. The legal and practical implications of Musk's tweets remain unclear. 'They (the board) should have seen this coming. Analyst Dan Ives said that the changing stock market and the challenge of financing the deal, 'has caused Musk to get cold feet' and that the issue of bots is 'likely more of a scapegoat to push for a lower price.' It comes after he yesterday fueled speculation he could be seeking to negotiate a lower price for his buyout , telling a Miami tech conference that an agreement at a lower price wouldn't be 'out of the question.' Over the weekend, Musk tweeted that he planned to do his own analysis of Twitter's user base by using a random sample of 100 user accounts. which he doesn't.' The surprise tweet caused stocks to continue their nosedive since his deal was announced, as analysts speculated that Musk is trying to negotiate a lower price for the deal or pull out completely. - Analysts claim he is trying to lower the price or pull out of the deal completely Elon Musk threatens to pull the plug on Twitter deal unless CEO Parag Agrawal provides proof that less than 5% of Twitter accounts are bots

Mr Musk has said he believes the company is underestimating the number of spam and bot accounts on the site.

Twitter is in a very vulnerable position right now, and Elon Musk knows it. “Elon’s latest Twitter deal antics should surprise no-one. He also said he wanted to “unlock” the potential of the site and “make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features”. This may be a negotiation tactic. Mr Musk tweeted last week that his £34.5 billion deal to acquire the site was “on hold” while he sought more details about the number of fake accounts on the site. Elon Musk has said his deal to buy Twitter “cannot move forward” until he sees “proof” of the site’s estimate that spam and fake accounts make up less than 5% of users.

Elon Musk has said fake and spam accounts could make up over 20 percent of Twitter's users, and said the $44 billion deal to acquire the social media ...

There’s been speculation that Elon Musk is using the discussion of the number of bots on Twitter as a tactic to negotiate a lower acquisition price. But he added that “we don’t believe this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information (which we can’t share).” Musk responded to his lengthy tweet thread with the turd emoji. “Currently what I’m being told is that there’s just no way to know the number of bots,” said Musk. “It’s like, as unknowable as the human soul.” Although he later said he’s “still committed to [the] acquisition.” Yesterday, Twitter’s CEO publicly refused to show proof of <5%. This deal cannot move forward until he does.” Musk is currently in the process of buying Twitter and its estimated 226 million monetizable daily active users for $44 billion.

Mr Musk has said he believes the company is underestimating the number of spam and bot accounts on the site.

Twitter is in a very vulnerable position right now, and Elon Musk knows it. “Elon’s latest Twitter deal antics should surprise no-one. He also said he wanted to “unlock” the potential of the site and “make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features”. This may be a negotiation tactic. Mr Musk tweeted last week that his £34.5 billion deal to acquire the site was “on hold” while he sought more details about the number of fake accounts on the site. Elon Musk has said his deal to buy Twitter “cannot move forward” until he sees “proof” of the site’s estimate that spam and fake accounts make up less than 5% of users.

In its filings, Twitter claims fewer than 5% of accounts on the platform are fake or spam accounts. Musk disputes this figure and estimates spam and fake ...

Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, put the deal “ on hold” last week in order to get more information on the number of fake and spam accounts on Twitter, an issue he said will be one of his “ top” priorities leading the company. The true number of fake and spam accounts on Twitter. Musk did not provide details on how he reached 20% and Twitter does not open its data troves for public inspection. Twitter on Tuesday said it is committed to seeing the deal with Musk through at the agreed price and terms, Reuters reported.

Social media group says it is committed to 'agreed price' on day Tesla chief raises prospect of reducing offer.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says his deal to buy Twitter can't move forward unless the company shows public proof that less than 5% of the accounts on the social ...

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk blasted Joe Biden on Monday, saying the president is someone who just reads a teleprompter and that his administration has failed to get ...

This administration seems to not have the drive to just get s--- done. Musk, who says he has overwhelmingly voted for Democrats, has repeatedly criticized the president. The path to power is the path to the teleprompter.

How do you regulate a man worth more than $200 billion who thinks he knows better than everyone else? The simple answer is: You don't.

In 2020, for example, the company conducted a brief test flight of its forthcoming Mars rocket, called Starship, without giving the FAA proper documentation or assessments for the risks to "public health and safety and gave up his position as chairman of Tesla, although he kept the CEO title, which the SEC had threatened to strip him of as well. Traditional automakers issue recalls when they discover a flaw in the design or construction of a car. But the company moved forward anyway. Musk is still seething over that settlement he signed with the SEC, claiming he only did so because banks might otherwise have cut off Tesla's funding and forced the automaker into bankruptcy. "But if you look at when the SEC enforces late filing, it's relatively rare.

Mr. Musk called on Twitter to provide more data about the number of spam and fake accounts on the social media site.

Mr. Musk’s deal with Twitter also has a nondisparagement clause that prohibits him from tweeting negatively about the transaction. Last Friday, he tweeted that his purchase of Twitter was “temporarily on hold” until he could get more details about the volume of spam and fake accounts on the platform. Tech company stocks have taken a beating since Mr. Musk first announced his acquisition of Twitter earlier this month. The two sides have so far continued as if there is a deal. On Monday, Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s chief executive, posted a lengthy thread detailing how the company calculates its number of bots. It is also below where Twitter traded before Mr. Musk initially revealed that he had bought a big stake in the company, the opening move in what has become an increasingly convoluted takeover saga. He later followed up saying he was still “ committed” to the deal. “So you know, at the end of the day, acquiring it has to be fixable with a reasonable time frame and without revenues collapsing along the way.” Renegotiating a deal would not be easy. Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, capped what seemed an improbable attempt by the famously mercurial billionaire to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion. In a tweet published at 3:32 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Mr. Musk said the figure could be well above 20 percent, without providing information to support the claim. Here’s how the deal unfolded:

Elon Musk continues to badger Twitter over its metrics and is calling on the SEC to look into the company's user numbers.

"An error was made at that time, such that actions taken via the primary account resulted in all linked accounts being counted as mDAU." Musk agreed to buy Twitter last month for $44 billion, but has since said the deal is on pause as he looks into bots, spam and fakes. Twitter's stock has given up all its gains since Musk first disclosed his 9% stake in the company early last month.

'Elon Musk: Superhero or Supervillain?' was described as a 'smear job' by others.

“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Viewers of the Channel 4 documentary Elon Musk: Superhero or Supervillain? have heaped scorn on the SpaceX founder.

Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition is apparently on hold, pending proof he'll accept about what impact bots have on its daily active user numbers.

His quarrel with them has focused on their attempts to enforce a consent decree he agreed to in 2018 over the “funding secured” tweets about taking Tesla private. Joke or not, Twitter has had troubles with accurate metrics and recently admitted it had been overcounting daily users for years. So does Elon Musk want to buy Twitter or not?

Elon Musk has finally responded to footage of a senior engineer at Twitter admitting that the social media giant routinely censors conservatives and 'does ...

And they looked out for themselves, as they should, cause they have families and they, they made the choice that they had to make. SM: Because Twitter wants to censor bullying and harassment, and the idea of free speech is that you can bully and harass people. But at the same time, you know, like the profits weren't a lot. But at the end of the day, [the] board of directors have the say, and then they acted on their best interests cause they didn't wanna get sued. I think it's just like the environment, like you're there and you become like this commie. We're going to come back because Elon is coming in.' They're basically - Elon is the new Trump, because they had a leader, they feel more confident. Musk told the Miami audience that he thought around 20 percent of Twitter accounts were fake. This is fundamental to the financial health of Twitter,' Musk said. Musk and Twitter agreed a deal on April 25, but it now appears that Musk could be having second thoughts. Journalist Molly Jong-Fast replied: 'You're obviously trying to get out of the deal.' I need it censored or else I'm not gonna be on the platform. Twitter does not believe in this value as a platform.

The deal to buy Twitter can't "move forward" without proof of spam account numbers, Mr Musk says.

He said "there is some chance it might be over 90% of daily active users". Is it a convenient peg on which to hang a renegotiation? He's making a big deal about fake accounts. Elon Musk has doubled down on his position that his deal to buy the social network is on ice while the actual amount of spambots and accounts operating on it is investigated. On Tuesday, Mr Musk said Twitter boss Parag Agrawal had "publicly refused to show proof" that fewer than 5% of its accounts were fake, and said the deal "cannot move forward" until Mr Agrawal does show proof. Elon Musk has said his $44bn deal to buy Twitter may be in jeopardy due to a disagreement over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform.

Billionaire escalates row over spam accounts by suggesting US regulator check user numbers.

He had also said he could instead start a rival to the social network. Legal experts said Mr Musk had little leeway to walk away from the deal, and that doing so could invite a challenge from Twitter seeking to force him to pay damages. On Monday he said paying a lower price than his $54.20 a share bid was “not out of the question”.

Hi, it's Liana in New York. Today we're talking about Twitter again—what else? We'll look at some precedents of when deals are re-cut, and try to understand ...

Who wants to own Twitter? Maybe Elon Musk doesn't.

We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement." Key words: "Enforce the merger agreement." But what if Musk pays to make this deal go away? There is a "60%+ chance from our view Musk ultimately walks from the deal and pays the breakup fee," analyst Dan Ives said Tuesday. The Bloomberg Opinion columnist said "it is important to be clear" that Musk "is lying:" Disputes about spam bots "are not why he is backing away from the deal, as you can tell from the fact that the spam bots are why he did the deal." The board, in other words, wants to rid itself of Twitter. I obtained a new statement from the board Tuesday night that read, "The Board and Mr. Musk agreed to a transaction at $54.20 per share.

There's a tension between facilitating free and fair debate on social media, and businesses' bottom line. And it must be resolved with the public interest ...

As US legislators contemplate social media regulation, addressing algorithmic audiencing must be on the table. Algorithmic audiencing constitutes a breach of this privilege. Algorithmic interference in who gets to hear which speech serves to directly undermine this free and fair exchange of ideas. Only in the past five years has algorithmic audiencing really become a widespread issue. Those who speak to the algorithm achieve the widest circulation of their ideas. Social media platforms don’t just present users with the posts of those they follow, in the order they’re posted.

Things between Musk and Twitter have been rocky, with its potential acquirer taking to the company's service to, variously, complain, prod, and backtrack.

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