Elon Musk recently made headlines by offering to buy Twitter for $43 billion. this valuation comes from the suspiciously meme-y price of $54.20 per share. Musk likes weed, and he wants us all to know it. It initially seemed like Twitter was fighting back, but now it appears negotiations could be finishing today.
According to Bloomberg, "Twitter is in the final stretch of negotiations about a sale to Elon Musk," according to a source. "The social media company is working to hammer out terms of a transaction and could reach an agreement as soon as Monday if negotiations go smoothly."
This all started when Musk bought a 9.2 percent stake in Twitter, following a poll he did on the platform asking users if they believe the company "rigorously adheres" to the principal that "free speech is essential for a functioning democracy." He then added, "The consequences of this poll will be important, please vote carefully.” Just over 70 percent voted no, so it seems Musk will turn the site into a free-for-all if he takes over.
Musk stated that he wouldn't remove propaganda spread by Russian news channels regarding the country's war on Ukraine "unless at gunpoint," from his own Starlink satellite internet service.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic and former President Trump's mass tweeting of false information on the platform, it has implemented some steps to warn users about misinformation, but that doesn't appeal to "free speech absolutist" Musk.
Musk infamously refused a position on Twitter's board of directors after it was revleaed he would to complete a background check, leading some to speculate this is his way of circumnavigating that.
Musk said he'd need to reconsider his position as a shareholder if the company didn't accept his offer, which could be considered as an illegal tactic to pressure it into accepting. However, it's pressure from shareholders that seems to have gotten Twitter to take another look at his offer and open negotiations back up.