Twitter was sold today to South African billionaire Elon Musk, according to information published by the US press. The value of the transaction — paid in cash — reached US$ 44 billion (or around R$ 209 billion, at the current price).
But unlike other businesses, which usually go unnoticed in the eyes of a large part of the public, the wait for the tycoon to complete the purchase of Twitter generated expectations throughout the day: it was one of the most talked about topics on the social network and caused numerous memes. , including among Brazilians (see below)mobilizing the headlines of major vehicles around the world.
Realizing the repercussion, Musk published mysterious posts on his profile, increasing even more the anxiety of some people for the announcement of the purchase.
In one of them, the billionaire quoted an excerpt from the romantic poem by renowned poet Robert Frost, “A Line Storm Song”.
And be my love in the rain (and be my love in the rain). Musk, no Twitter
In another message, Musk said he hoped that after the deal was concluded, “even my worst critics will remain on Twitter, because that’s what free speech is.”
I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022
The mogul has said in interviews that one of the reasons he made an offer to buy the social network is because he believes that “it is very important that there is an inclusive arena for freedom of expression.”
He questions Twitter’s algorithm which, in his view, should be open source.
Musk resistance
Despite the enthusiasm on the part of the internet, technology analysts reacted with concern to the offer from the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, especially about its transparency, public discourse and even about how it could impact democracy.
“Twitter is too important to be owned by one person,” Fred Wilson, a venture capitalist, wrote on social media. “The opposite should happen, a decentralization”, he opined.
Musk’s offer faced resistance from the Board of Directors and some key shareholders.
Musk is named the richest man in the world
In April, Elon Musk was named the richest person in the world in 2022, with an estimated fortune of US$ 219 billion (R$ 1.021 trillion), according to a ranking by the American magazine Forbes.
It was the first time Musk appeared in the first place. He made $68 billion in a year after a 33% jump in Tesla stock.
He left Jeff Bezos in second place, with $171 billion (R$ 797.25 billion), leader of the list for four years. The Amazon founder, who has also invested in space tourism, lost his post as Amazon stock slumped and his charitable donations took $6 billion out of his fortune.
