Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter again, under the original terms from April

Earlier this year, Elon Musk decided that he should try to buy his way into popularity by making a bid to buy Twitter as-is, with no due diligence. Twitter took him up on the offer and they made the deal for Musk to purchase the company for $44 billion. Musk then spent the next six months trying to worm his way out of the deal. In those six months, we learned more about Musk than any of us wanted to know – how much he wants to platform white supremacists, how he sexually harasses employees and buys their silence, how he impregnates coworkers/subordinates, how he’s completely idiotic and skeezy. We also heard, repeatedly, that Musk was actually too broke-ass to own both Tesla AND Twitter. In any case, Musk tried to terminate the Twitter purchase and Twitter was about to drag his ass to the Court of Chancery. Suddenly, Musk is ready to purchase Twitter under the original terms of the deal he made in April.

After months of trying to get out of a deal that he struck in April, the billionaire made a proposal on Monday night that could bring the acrimonious legal fight to an end. Mr. Musk said he would do exactly what he said he would do in April: Acquire Twitter at $54.20 per share, according to regulatory filings made public on Tuesday.

Twitter, which sued Mr. Musk in July to force him to go through with the $44 billion deal, has yet to accept his new proposal and plans to add conditions to try to ensure that he doesn’t change his mind again.

In a short statement, Twitter said it had received Mr. Musk’s letter and reiterated the company’s intention to close the deal. Twitter may ask a court in Delaware, where it filed its suit, for protections that would force Mr. Musk to follow through with his new proposal, said three people familiar with the company’s plans, who were not authorized to speak publicly about them. The company could also demand that Mr. Musk pay interest on the deal price for the delays in completing the acquisition, one of those people added.

A deal would allow both sides to avoid a messy trial that was expected to start in two weeks in Delaware Chancery Court. The trial most likely would have featured testimony from Mr. Musk, who runs the electric automaker Tesla, and senior Twitter executives. Mr. Musk is scheduled to be deposed on Thursday and Friday in Austin, Texas, according to a legal filing.

[From The NY Times]

This reminds me of the fact that originally, Musk was interested in a seat on Twitter’s board, but Twitter wanted him to pass a background check and he stepped away from that offer – because he knew he wouldn’t pass a background check. In an attempt to avoid being deposed and having Twitter’s lawyers crawl up his ass and then hand him his ass in the Court of Chancery, Musk is suddenly prepared to purchase Twitter under the original terms. Imagine buying a $44 billion company just because you’re scared of background checks and depositions, my God. Anyway, if this sh-t goes through, it’s going to be so f–king bad.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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23 Responses to “Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter again, under the original terms from April”

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  1. Colby says:

    Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy and very hateful ride when the clowns are let back in.

    • ThatNotOkay says:

      Hopefully there is someone out there preparing to launch an alternative SN site with less evil players at the top, who do not profess to own your data, nor are they inclined to sell it. Nor would they support insurrectionists and hate-filled scare-mongers and race-baiting traitors. But alas, I dream. If Musk takes over the company, I will de-platform myself, much as I did Facebook in 2011.

      • Jan90067 says:

        There is: Counter Social. I got an account when the Musk takeover came out. A lot of people (I mostly follow political /Dem pundits) have moved an account there already, too.

  2. Snuffles says:

    I’m glad I ditched Twitter back in April. It’s going to be utter chaos (not in the fun way) once he gets his hands on it. People, both left and right leaning, are complaining about a Twitter purge and losing hundreds and thousands of followers. But most assume it’s Twitter getting rid of bots.

    If anything good comes out of this, I would hope that bots no longer have a place on Twitter. Still have no idea how that would shake out. Especially, if he re-platforms people like Trump. It’s just going to be disinformation/misinformation/culture wars gone nuclear. I’m honestly hoping it just turns users off and they move elsewhere. It’s about time for Twitter to be over, right?

    • SJ (they/them) says:

      It is definitely time. Tiktok would be my bet for where it’s going.

      • Delphine says:

        TikTok has already taken over. Real time news is happening there and the rest of the media follows. My FYP has been 90% Iranian protest news for the last 2 weeks. It’s both inspiring and heartbreaking to see women stand up in Iran, removing hijab, knowing they are risking their lives. Students are being held hostage at Sharif University in Tehran and loaded onto buses. This university is the equivalent of Harvard here. The parents and supporters of the students have jammed the streets with their cars in protest. I’m getting constant updates from TikTok that are far more relevant and timely than anything else from either traditional or social media. Twitter is a dinosaur.

      • Snuffles says:

        Speaking of TikTok, I just watched an influencer talk about how much she prefers TikTok because of the algorithm. She feels like she can curate her feed to the point where the recommendations she gets are truly based on her interests and she feels like her content gets shown to more like minded people with similar interests. Overall, she feels it’s a much better experience.

        Which brings me to algorithms. I don’t understand the math of it all, but I get what she is saying. One of my big issues with Twitter and Facebook was that I was constantly getting pushed stuff I didn’t want to see no matter how much I tried to curate my timeline. And even if I hadn’t logged in in a while, I would be sent emails from Facebook saying “We noticed you haven’t logged in in a while. Here is some of the awesome stuff you are missing!” Then would proceed to show me everything I was trying to avoid.

        I’ve been reluctant to dive into
        TikTok. Is anyone here into it? What’s been your experience?

      • Ameerah M says:

        I refuse to join Tiktok. Their biggest investor is the Chinese Government.

      • Jan90067 says:

        I’ve heard on various news reports that TikTok is filled with spyware and data mines for the Chinese govt. That’s been known forever. I don’t / won’t use that.

      • AuntRara says:

        TikTok is the only social media I scroll through anymore. I can curate my feed in a way that’s best for my mental health. (i.e. pro-Fascism / anti-science posts don’t show up at all.) I’ve learned so much about history, art, wildlife, cooking, politics, etc. I recommend it highly.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Here’s where I have problems with TikTok. Supposedly, when TikTok was sold the data management was also sold with it. This was to prevent the requirement that the data be transmitted to the Chinese government. I question whether this is actually true. I know that other programs that Chinese company’s have sold in other countries had that data sent to the Chinese government and the other countries I believe banned it after the fact. Unfortunately, the damage was done. I guess I’m just cynical, but I doubt that the data isn’t going to the Chinese government. This is really something that I am prickly about since the Credit Bureau which was hacked and data stolen was done by the Chinese government. So, I think I’ll check out other social media and not TikTok.

    • Lizzie Bathory says:

      The amount of data TikTok accesses on devices is waaaaaay broader than other apps. It’s really scary. A few months ago, the FCC commissioner recommended that US app stores not offer TikTok due to security concerns.

  3. girl_ninja says:

    It will probably go through and it will be really bad for Twitter. I don’t think I can take it and that I will have to leave that platform. I do hope it falls apart again and he doesn’t get his disgusting hands on it.

  4. Miss Jupitero says:

    How to delete your Twitter on desktop:

    1. Go to Twitter and log into your account.

    2. Tap on the “More” button on the left.
    Select “Settings and privacy.”

    3. Click “Deactivate your account” in the “Your account” section.

    4. Click “Deactivate.”

    5. Enter your password and click “Deactivate” again.

    6. Congratulations!

  5. Cel2495 says:

    Gosh thank goodness I don’t have twitter , Facebook , Snapchat, TikTok or any social media save for instagram ( private and only used for funny cat and dog videos). Twitter will become a cesspool full of racist assholes just like Musk.

  6. Lizzie Bathory says:

    Elon had no choice–he either had to go through with the deal or he’d be on the hook for $1 billion, plus damages if the Court of Chancery awarded them.

    Elon is a dipshit & an asshole, but I don’t actually think him buying Twitter will change it much. I mean, have you met Twitter? It’s already pretty terrible, except when it’s delightful. I don’t think Elon has the attention span to meddle with Twitter, nor is it a guarantee that he’d reinstate Trump, since I think Elon delights in being one of the app’s main stunt queens now. This is a man who can’t code & is being forced to buy a company he didn’t intend to buy after he entered into a binding contract after waiving due diligence.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Lizzie Bathory, I wonder if once he owns it, he keeps the bots away? Afterall, that’s what he was supposedly so upset about.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      His text messages that were revealed due to the lawsuit most definitely showed him to be involved in a plan to reinstate Trump and purge mainstream journalists and more.

  7. Seraphina says:

    Yeah. This is going to be bad and I read Twitter sticky for the laughs but it’s time to go.
    Also, not sure if this is has been mentioned but he looks like Grandpa Munster.

  8. tealily says:

    I don’t even care to follow the ins and outs of this because Musk is such a tool. I’ve been casually assuming this won’t happen, but I may be wrong it seems. Whatever happens, I hope he’s miserable.

  9. MsGnomer says:

    Musk looks more and more like Trump every day. I think it has to do with the jowls and puffery. Go away, Elon.

  10. Rea says:

    He should walk away and focus on Tesla.