LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk made a mess by tweeting that his current owners have bought English football team Manchester United, which has turned against many fans, but only hours later claimed it was a joke.
Tesla’s billionaire CEO is facing a legal battle in the US after pulling out of a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter. He’s an avid user of the platform, often pondering social issues or joking with his 103 million followers and occasionally getting in trouble with US regulators.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Musk tweeted about his political affiliation, then added a second tweet: “Also, I’m buying Manchester United, you’re welcome.”
After nearly a decade of below-average performance, it comes as shocking news to the world of Manchester United – albeit a welcome one for many.
When asked by a follower if he was serious, Musk later replied, “No, this is an old Twitter joke. I wouldn’t buy any sports kit.”
This isn’t Musk’s first joke about buying a popular franchise. He tweeted in April: “Next time I’ll take a Coca-Cola to repel cocaine.” In a thread about Manchester United, he noted that the tweet about Coca-Cola was also a joke.
Musk had previously clashed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over tweets claiming he had funds to take Tesla private in 2018 and that the electric car had caused its stock price to rise. This led to a securities fraud settlement that required his tweets to be approved by Tesla’s attorney before they were posted.
Now he’s facing new legal challenges related to a Twitter deal he negotiated in April. Musk sold about $8.5 billion worth of Tesla stock to fund the acquisition and brought in a bunch of other investors.
The deal ended last month after Musk said Twitter refused to give him enough information about the number of fake accounts on the platform. Twitter could have tried to pay him $1 billion for the break he agreed to, but instead sued him to force him to complete the purchase. The case will be heard in Delaware in October.
With the seemingly limitless potential to buy the world’s best players, Musk will be a welcome prospect for many Manchester United fans who want to see the club back at the top of the game.
Manchester United could become the world’s greatest football team under Alex Ferguson, who has won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. But since Ferguson left in 2013, the team has struggled to win trophies.
Last season United finished 35 points behind champions Manchester City, the club’s local rivals, and protests were held against the team’s American owners, the Glazer family.
Many of the club’s huge international fan base have fled to the Glazers since they took control in 2005, in part because they funded the takeover and put the club into debt for the first time in decades.
The most recent drop came on Saturday when United lost 4-0 to Brentford, a small West London team relegated to the Premier League in 2021. Premier league team.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust fan group, known as MUST, condemned the owners after the match played last weekend.
“What we’re witnessing tonight is an embarrassment – no, a shame – to Manchester United fans. But in many ways it’s not a surprise. It’s like the culmination of a long-term journey,” the fan club said in a statement. “Club owners should hold themselves primarily responsible for this new low in our decade of decline.”
Source: Breitbart
