Billionaire Elon Musk mentioned he was joking when he tweeted about shopping for English soccer membership Manchester United Plc on Wednesday.
“No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams,” Musk mentioned, when requested by a person if he was severe about shopping for the membership.
Musk has a historical past of being unconventional and making irreverent tweets.
“I’m buying Manchester United ur welcome,” Musk mentioned in a tweet earlier. The workforce is managed by the American Glazer household.
British newspaper The Daily Mirror reported final yr that the Glazers have been ready to promote the membership however provided that they have been provided in extra of 4 billion kilos.($4.84 billion)
Musk is presently making an attempt to exit a $44 billion settlement to purchase the social media firm, which has taken him to courtroom.
Manchester United is among the world’s finest supported soccer golf equipment. They have been champions of England a report 20 instances and have received the European Cup, essentially the most prestigious membership competitors within the international recreation, thrice.
Dissatisfaction amongst followers on the Glazers’ perceived lack of ambition to usher in high gamers intensified after the membership completed sixth within the English Premier League final season, whereas crosstown rivals Manchester City received a second successive title.
The soccer membership had a market capitalisation of $2.08 billion, as of Tuesday’s inventory market shut.
Manchester United followers have lately protested towards the Glazers, who purchased the membership for 790 million kilos ($955.51 million) in 2005, as a result of workforce’s struggles on the pitch.
The anti-Glazer motion gained momentum final yr after United have been concerned in a failed try and kind a breakaway European Super League.
Some followers have urged Musk to purchase Manchester United as an alternative of shopping for Twitter.
Musk has a historical past of unconventional actions and feedback, making it tough generally to inform when he’s joking.
His ambitions vary from colonising Mars to creating a brand new sustainable power financial system, and within the course of he has constructed essentially the most helpful automobile firm on the planet, electrical automobile maker Tesla, rocket firm SpaceX, and a slew of smaller companies. One is a tunnel maker known as the Boring Company.
Musk has appeared to smoke marijuana in a podcast and fought US regulators over his feedback about his plans for Tesla, together with an deserted effort to take it non-public.
Forbes estimates his fortune at $270 billion. ($1=0.8268 kilos)
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