Elon Musk is the world’s wealthiest person- with a personal net value estimated at over $250 billion. The billionaire entrepreneur first made it rich co-founding Paypal, and then later shifted his attention to building incredibly innovative companies such as the electric car and battery manufacturer, Tesla, and later, the space technology pioneering corporation, SpaceX. Musk has prided himself on building businesses with the goal of solving the world’s biggest problems. For instance, one of his companies, Neuralink, is developing brain implants that will hopefully permit computers to help paraplegics walk once again.
For the past few weeks, Elon Musk has shaken up the social media world, suggesting that he wanted to purchase Twitter. Musk, a huge fan and frequent user of Twitter with over 80 million followers is no stranger to controversy on the platform- picking huge fights with business titans, politicians, and even Twitter’s own Board of Directors. Musk has described Twitter as the modern “defacto town square,” permitting users to communicate freely within the bounds of the law as an essential component of our modern day democracy. He has taken strong issue with the fact that Twitter has banned users from its platform, arguing that no matter what one thinks of someone’s speech, unless it is directly calling for violence or something actually illegal, it should never be banned. Musk describes himself as a free speech absolutist, and does not want individual private companies to have the right to censor a user no matter how noble they may believe the justification.
When Twitter did not agree with Musk’s complaints, the billionaire decided to take his battle to the next level, going as far as to reject an offer for a Board of Directors position to ensure his complaints led to actual change. Musk decided to make an offer to buy the entire company for over $46 billion in what has been described as a hostile takeover bid. Musk’s offer to purchase Twitter has caused large ripples in both social media and the political world.
Musk’s offer was finally accepted and he is now the proud owner of Twitter.
According to Business Insider, Mr. Musk has suggested that he really does not care much if his purchase of Twitter loses him money. He simply wants to run the social media giant in the way that he wants. He has essentially bought a whole restaurant because he didn’t like their choice of desserts.
We will all wait and see what changes are in store for Twitter once the transfer officially takes effect and Mr. Musk begins to implement his new policies.