OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent liberals over the edge again on Monday amid reports that Twitter may accept his offer to buy out the social media company as early as Monday.
Musk took to Twitter to say: “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means.”
I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022
Just prior to Musk’s tweet, news broke that Twitter may accept Musk’s offer as soon as Monday.
“Twitter Inc is nearing a deal to sell itself to Elon Musk for $54.20 per share in cash, the price that he originally offered to the social media company and called his ‘best and final’, people familiar with the matter said,” Reuters reported.
“Twitter may announce the $43 billion deal later on Monday once its board has met to recommend the transaction to Twitter shareholders, the sources said. It is always possible that the deal collapses at the last minute, the sources added. Twitter has not been able to secure so far a ‘go-shop’ provision under its agreement with Musk that would allow it to solicit other bids from potential acquirers once the deal is signed, the sources said. Still, Twitter would be allowed to accept an offer from another party by paying Musk a break-up fee, the sources added,” the report added.
On Sunday, it was reported that Twitter changed course on Musk’s multi-billion dollar offer to buy out the social media company.
Musk disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that he has secured the money to buy Twitter outright.
“Twitter had been expected to rebuff the offer, which Mr. Musk made earlier this month without saying how he would pay for it,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “But after he disclosed last week that he now has $46.5 billion in the financing, Twitter is taking a fresh look at the offer and is more likely than before to seek to negotiate.”
The WSJ report said negotiations between Twitter and Musk are “fast-moving” and that the company is expected to “weigh in on the bid” later this week.
“The potential turnabout on Twitter’s part comes after Mr. Musk met privately Friday with several shareholders of the company to extol the virtues of his proposal while repeating that the board has a ‘yes-or-no’ decision to make,” the report added. “He also pledged to solve the free-speech issues he sees as plaguing the platform and the country more broadly, whether his bid succeeds or not.”
In his SEC filing, Musk reported that he had secured $46.5 billion from three sources to buy the company, including $13 billion from Morgan Stanley, $12.5 billion from other banks, and $21 billion from himself.
It didn’t take long for some liberals to freak out on Twitter over the news.
“At its root, [Elon Musk] wanting to purchase Twitter is not about left vs right,” he wrote. “It’s about white power.”
“The man was raised in Apartheid by a white nationalist,” King continued. “He’s upset that Twitter won’t allow white nationalists to target/harass people. That’s his definition of free speech.”
“Elon Musk has openly called himself a ‘free speech absolutist’ and said that he wants to create a space where anything can be said about anyone,” the activist claimed. “That’s why white nationalists are giddy today. Here on Twitter and other platforms that I track daily. It’s dangerous.”
“And listen, I don’t even like the Democratic Party,” he added. “So for me, this isn’t about left vs right. Not at all. It’s about how the richest man in the world, a son of Apartheid, raised by a white nationalist, wants to be sure his speech, and that of other white men, isn’t censored.”
At its root, @ElonMusk wanting to purchase Twitter is not about left vs right.
It’s about white power.
The man was raised in Apartheid by a white nationalist.
He’s upset that Twitter won’t allow white nationalists to target/harass people. That’s his definition of free speech.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) April 25, 2022
For those leaving @twitter after this @elonmusk deal with the devil goes thru, make sure you download an archive of everything you’ve contributed to this space.
You had a good run, Twitter!
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) April 25, 2022
With news of Elon Musk possibly buying Twitter…
Do you think there’s another billionaire or tech bro out there creating a new platform in hopes of luring soon-to-be former Twitter users?
— Adrienne Lawrence, Esq. (@AdrienneLaw) April 25, 2022
So if/when Elon Musk takes control of Twitter and turns it into a malevolent mouthpiece, where should Democrats and Progressives go for free speech on social media? An existing site or do we start our own? pic.twitter.com/XmHYBowTeQ
— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) April 25, 2022
"Totalitarian governments and their leaders are ‘infallible.’ To question their policies is sin. As soon as complete power is obtained, the monopoly over all instrumentalities of communication gives unlimited propaganda possibilities." Sigmund Neumann, 1938.
— Jennifer Mercieca (@jenmercieca) April 25, 2022
