Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become Twitter’s largest stakeholder, and conservatives are stoked about it.
SO WHAT
There’s talk on the right that Musk — with his libertarian and anti-establishment vibes — could “make Twitter great again.”
WHAT HAPPENED
A filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealed Monday that Twitter will appoint Musk to its board of directors after the tech entrepreneur bought a 9.2% stake in the company.
Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal confirmed the news, tweeting: “Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.”
- “He’s both a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need on Twitter,” Agrawal said in another tweet.
- Hours after buying into the company, Musk teased the prospect of major changes in a series of tweets, including a poll asking users if they want Twitter to add an edit button.
- Musk’s stake in Twitter is valued at $2.89 billion based on Friday’s closing price of $39.31 a share, according to Fox Business.
WHY CONSERVATIVES SHOULD BE EXCITED
While Musk has rejected the label of conservative before, his tweets suggest he sympathizes with the right’s complaints that Big Tech companies like Twitter are suppressing dissident viewpoints:
March 26: “Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?”
March 25: “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?”
January 11, 2021: “A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech.”
July 24, 2020: “Twitter sucks.”
May 19, 2020: “Cancel Cancel Culture!”
May 23, 2018: “Anytime anyone criticizes the media, the media shrieks ‘You’re just like Trump!’ Why do you think he got elected in the first place? Because no ones believes you any more. You lost your credibility a long time ago.”
THE REACTION
The news that Musk had become the largest individual shareholder in Twitter was celebrated widely by conservatives on the platform — with supporters of Donald Trump calling for the former president’s account to be reinstated.