An unofficial group of libertarian-leaning activists and entrepreneurs have urged Elon Musk to launch a $44 billion buyout deal on Twitter, according to a new report.
Perhaps most importantly, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has for some time been ‘whispering’ in Musk’s ear that the company should be privately owned and run, sources said. The Wall Street Journal.
Dorsey, who abruptly stepped down as Twitter CEO in November but has remained on the company’s board, has become so close to Musk that he sometimes appears to be ‘spaced’ in meetings because the two men were texting during the workday, a former Twitter executive He told the outlet.
Meanwhile, a tight-knit group of Musk’s closest friends and confidants are said to have urged the world’s richest man to use his fortune to assert his control over Twitter, one of the most important platforms for public discourse.
An informal group of libertarian-leaning activists and entrepreneurs urged Elon Musk to launch a $44 billion Twitter takeover, according to a new report.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said he has ‘whispered’ in Musk’s ear for some time that the company should be privately owned, while Kimball Musk (right) has also urged his brother to buy the company, according to a new report.
Concerned about Twitter’s crackdowns and draconian bans, which often appeared to be politically inclined to punish conservatives, this group reportedly used its leverage with Musk to persuade him to take dramatic action.
The unofficial “Brain Fund” reportedly includes investor Peter Thiel and businessman David Sachs – members of the so-called PayPal mafia who helped found the payments startup with Musk in the late 1990s.
People familiar with the matter said that venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, an early investor in Tesla who once served on the company’s board of directors, was also part of the staff.
Sources also reported that Kimball is Musk’s brother, and he is a member of Tesla’s board of directors.
Musk’s senior lieutenant Jared Birshall is also believed to have been a key advisor on the acquisition.
The new report reveals how heartbroken Musk was when Twitter banned former President Donald Trump in the wake of the riots at the US Capitol.
The unofficial “Brain Fund” is said to include investor Peter Thiel (left) and businessman David Sachs (right) – members of the so-called PayPal mafia.
People familiar with the matter said that venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, an early investor in Tesla who once served on the company’s board of directors, was also part of the staff.
Musk’s senior lieutenant Jared Birshall is also believed to have been a key advisor on the acquisition.
In a text message to a colleague, Birshall described his boss’s view as: ‘He strongly disagrees with censorship. Especially for a president in office. Crazy.’
Musk has not publicly revealed whether he will allow Trump to return to Twitter once he takes control, but he has said he opposes most of the permanent bans on the platform. Trump himself claims that he would not return even if he was invited.
Musk appears to have been pushed into action after Twitter temporarily suspended the account of Babylon Bee, a conservative satirical website, in March.
The Bee, in a satirical tweet, congratulated a transgender woman in the Biden administration as “Man of the Year.”
Musk called Seth Dillon, CEO of Babylon Bee, and asked him if this tweet was the reason for the suspension. When Dillon confirmed this, Musk reported that he “may need to buy Twitter.”
On April 13, the day before his hostile takeover was first announced, Musk reportedly dined in Vancouver with a small group, including Jurvetson and TED Leader Chris Anderson.
Although his 9.6 percent stake in Twitter was already known at that point, Musk seemed uninterested in discussing his plans for the company, instead asking dinner guests to share their theories about the meaning of life, an attendee told the newspaper.
A person walks past Twitter headquarters on April 26, 2022 in downtown San Francisco
Former Twitter executives told the magazines they became aware of Dorsey’s budding friendship with Musk in 2020.
Dorsey appears to have been frustrated with Twitter’s increasingly stringent moderation policies, and is said to have touted the idea that the company should hold private conversations with Musk.
Although it is unclear to what extent, if any, Dorsey reached out to Musk upon revealing his takeover offer, the Twitter co-founder has made it clear publicly that he supported the move after signing the agreement.
Dorsey tweeted on April 25, the day Twitter accepted Musk’s offer, “Elon is the only solution I can trust.” “I trust his mission to spread the light of consciousness.”
If Musk executes his takeover bid well, Dorsey would be willing to part with nearly $1 billion for his Twitter stake.
Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting Friday, Twitter employees criticized Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the company, accusing the world’s richest man of fanaticism and worrying about potential job cuts once the deal is sealed.
Staff at the “improvised” mass meeting posed angry questions to executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, who was described as looking tired and annoyed at times, according to Insider.
A Twitter spokeswoman, contacted by DailyMail.com on Saturday morning, declined to comment on the meeting.
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