Elon Musk and Twitter: The Battle For Control

With Elon Musk becoming the world’s richest man, owning industries with Tesla and SpaceX, and having a lovable attitude, he cemented himself as a household name in American society. His companies are constantly in the public eye, sometimes for questionable reasons such as presentation failures. However, due to Musk’s constant controversy, he has found his way into everyone's lives through social media, and from the looks of it, his shenanigans are not stopping any time soon.

In a Tweet, Elon Musk stated his plan to purchase Twitter. He reasoned that he would reconstruct a better platform, arguing that Twitter’s current administration had done poorly. Among his numerous plans, his most controversial is his reinstatement of former United States President Donald Trump—after Twitter barred Trump for his influence over the January 6th Capitol Attack. Musk stated that social media policies are only good if “the most extreme 10% on the left and right are equally unhappy.” Such a reinstatement for a politician known for constant disinformation could lead to many changes across the political landscape. Although people see his plan to reinstate Trump negatively, Elon Musk is also attempting to make Twitter a free place, stating that he would “authenticate all real humans.”

Elon’s offer shook the world. After the bid, Twitter Inc. attempted to rebound Musk’s offer, pushing to avoid the sale. For Twitter users, the power that Musk (and other wealthy influencers) has is becoming glaringly apparent. For example, Musk’s bid has a premium on top of it, meaning that he is not just paying for the value of all shares he was asking for—he is paying for more. This bid is bad news for Twitter because shareholders want to make money, and they could be pressuring Twitter to follow through with the bid. This showcase of power raises concerns about the impact these billionaires have and begs the question—how much of our lives are controlled by the ultra-wealthy?

After more than a month, the battle between Elon Musk and Twitter continues. Elon Musk spends more and more of his own money to support the operation. His efforts have led to a massive jump in Twitter stocks—which is good news for shareholders who watch this unfold.

Many users believe Musk's offer is divisive. Some argue that Elon Musk is the right person to run Twitter, having used the app a lot himself and understanding its purpose. Others question the choices he is planning to make, arguing that some of them could be damaging or even dangerous. These speculators point to the general behavior of Musk, arguing that such a man should not be in charge of such a powerful and political app. Overall, many Americans still support Musk, but opinion remains very polarized. With the situation constantly changing and the entirety of Twitter at stake, we will still have to wait some time to find out the ultimate fate of this app.