Musk says he’s having second thoughts about buying Twitter : NPR

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Elon Musk has a deal to purchase Twitter for $44 billion. But now, apparently, he has uncertainties. These kinds of significant uncertainties, so he claims, that he may kill the offer. Or maybe Elon Musk is remaining Elon Musk and trolling for a greater cut price. And all of this is participating in out, in which else? – but on Twitter. I spoke with NPR tech correspondent Shannon Bond to comprehend what is heading on.

SHANNON BOND, BYLINE: Musk claimed at a convention in Miami on Monday that he is involved about the amount of pretend accounts on Twitter.

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ELON MUSK: You know, at the finish of the day, obtaining – it has to be fixable, and fixable, you know, with fair time body and without having revenues collapsing alongside the way and all that sort of stuff. And so, you know, I genuinely need to see how these matters are staying calculated.

BOND: But, you know, for yrs, Twitter has reported it estimates fewer than 5% of accounts are pretend. But on Tuesday, Musk demanded general public proof of that quantity. Or else, he explained, quote, “This deal are not able to shift forward.” Bear in mind, he initiated this offer. Also, devoid of furnishing any evidence, he claimed 20% of accounts may well be faux. Then just one of Musk’s followers tweeted that the Securities and Exchange Commission must glimpse into this. Musk tweeted in response, good day @SECGov, any person property? SECGov is the agency’s official account. And, Leila, that is the very same agency that, in 2018, fined Musk $20 million about his phony statements on Twitter that he experienced funding to get Tesla private.

FADEL: Ok, So is this a bluff to get a much better deal, or is Musk making an attempt to pull out?

BOND: Properly, if he does stroll away, he’d nearly surely be on the hook to pay out Twitter a $1 billion breakup charge. And industry experts I’ve spoken with say Twitter could even probably perhaps sue him for more damages. Now, Musk is relying on his Tesla shares to finance this bargains, and the value of individuals has fallen sharply. So a lot of observers speculate Musk intends to renegotiate his cost for Twitter. And at Monday’s convention, Musk advised he may do just that.

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MUSK: In producing the Twitter present, I was clearly reliant upon the fact and precision of their public filings. And if all those filings are not exact, it truly is simply just not – that’s – it is not – you are not able to pay the same rate for a little something that is a lot worse than they claimed.

BOND: But, Leila, Musk waived owing diligence in doing this deal, and which is like getting a dwelling devoid of doing an inspection.

FADEL: So what effects is the drama having on Twitter?

BOND: Well, its share value is way down, and there are worries it could tank even even more if Musk backs out. And this is just including to enormous uncertainty and disruption for the enterprise. Twitter has frozen hiring. It’s slicing paying out. Quite a few top rated executives are leaving. So whether Musk goes by with the deal or walks absent, the whole approach hazards leaving Twitter weaker than it was ahead of – harmed.

FADEL: Okay. So to recap, a very little in excess of a month back, Musk available to get Twitter. Twitter at first resisted, later on approved. Now Musk is the one particular with chilly ft, ideal?

BOND: Sure, proper. And Twitter states it is continue to committed to acquiring this deal done at the selling price Musk agreed to. CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted a prolonged rebuttal to Musk’s criticism. Musk replied on Twitter with a poop emoji.

FADEL: NPR’s Shannon Bond, thank you so much.

BOND: Thanks, Leila.

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