Properly, I don’t assume anybody noticed this coming, not in any life like sense at the least.

However evidently, Elon Musk is severe about his push to raised align Twitter with free speech rules, with the billionaire Tesla CEO providing a full, $43 billion hostile takeover bid for the app.

As per Musk’s be aware to the SEC:

“I invested in Twitter as I imagine in its potential to be the platform free of charge speech across the globe, and I imagine free speech is a societal crucial for a functioning democracy. Nevertheless, since making my funding I now understand the corporate will neither thrive nor serve this societal crucial in its present type.”

Musk has been a vocal proponent of free speech, and has usually criticized Twitter’s moderation efforts, together with its determination to ban former US President Donald Trump.

Final week, earlier than it was revealed that Musk was shopping for up Twitter shares (which he’s really been accumulating steadily since January), Musk famous that Twitter wants to stick to ‘free speech rules’ to really serve its function.

That’s seemingly the impetus for Musk’s takeover bid, with Musk now outlining a imprecise plan to take Twitter into non-public possession, to be able to cut back its reliance on shareholders and advert {dollars}, thereby enabling it to make really unbiased choices for the nice of public debate.

“I’m providing to purchase 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in money, a 54% premium over the day earlier than I started investing in Twitter and a 38% premium over the day earlier than my funding was publicly introduced. My provide is my finest and last provide and if it isn’t accepted, I would wish to rethink my place as a shareholder.”

Market analysts say that Musk’s provide is low, provided that Twitter shares not too long ago reached $70. Nevertheless it may nonetheless be tempting, and it is sufficient to at the least be taken significantly as a authentic takeover bid.

If Musk’s takeover provide is accepted, Twitter will probably see important modifications, and actually, all bets are off as to what then occurs to the app. But when the bid is rejected, Musk has urged that he’ll probably withdraw from the corporate utterly.

 “If the deal doesn’t work, provided that I don’t trust in administration, nor do I imagine I can drive the required change within the public market, I would wish to rethink my place as a shareholder. This isn’t a menace, it is merely not a great funding with out the modifications that must be made.”

It’ll be fascinating to see if that additionally consists of Musk deleting his Twitter account, which presently has over 81 million followers, and is a key media software for the generally eccentric billionaire.

Following the revelation that Musk had turn out to be Twitter’s greatest particular person shareholder earlier within the month (until Vanguard Group purchased up extra shares to overhaul him), Musk started polling his Twitter followers on questions on ‘repair’ the platform. Musk was seemingly then suggested to cease tweeting crucial commentary, as a pending Twitter board member, which then result in Musk withdrawing his curiosity in becoming a member of the board solely.

It appears that evidently Musk was dissatisfied with the response that he acquired from Twitter administration, as he’s now seeking to substitute them wholesale, and begin afresh with the corporate.

It’s a rare transfer, and one which once more raises questions concerning the disproportionate energy of the billionaire class. Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, for instance, owns The Washington Put up, and a few have urged that it’s now extra favorable to Bezos’ positions in its editorial protection (be aware: unbiased research have discovered little to no proof of bias within the Put up’s reporting since Bezos’ acquisition).

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds important energy because the proprietor of a number of of probably the most utilized social media apps, whereas Apple and Google, whereas not independently managed by a single rich founder in the identical approach, may exert a stage of management over media attain by way of their extremely used digital properties.

In Musk’s case, he clearly doesn’t like what Twitter is doing, and being wealthy sufficient as he’s, he’s looking for to do one thing about it, which may have important penalties, in some ways.

On steadiness, I’d say that the chance of Musk’s takeover provide being accepted isn’t excessive – however then once more, I’d have by no means guessed that Musk would make such an aggressive push on Twitter shares, or certainly that he’d transfer into hostile takeover mode for the app.

So, who is aware of how this performs out? In some methods, it looks as if simply sufficient of a proposal to be taken significantly, however not sufficient to be really accepted.

However possibly Twitter will turn out to be ‘Tesla Social’, and memes and in-jokes about ‘420’ (be aware Musk’s provide value) and each different ‘edgelord’ pattern will dominate on this new ‘free speech’ led cesspit.

It’s fairly regarding to consider – however possibly, this might really occur, which may spell the tip for Twitter as we all know it.