Elon Musk sparks another takeover controversy after tweeting he would buy English football team Manchester United before announcing hours later in the center of he was just joking.
The news comes amid a legal battle between the billionaire's CEO and Twitter. Musk has backed out of his $44 billion deal to acquire the popular social media platform. The richest man in the world has his one of the most followed accounts on Twitter and it's not uncommon for him to get into hot water to share his thoughts on his public forums.
Musk tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that he supports centrist Republicans and Democrats, followed by declaring that "Manchester United welcomes too."
He also bought Manchester United. Best Regards
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Aug 17, 2022
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The tweet that followed came as a shock, but many Manchester United fans welcomed interest in Musk's squad after a previous decade of mediocre results, with a record performance.
At this point you may change the name of Old Trafford to 'X Æ A-12 Musk Stadium'
Buy clubs.
— ً (@TheFergusonWay) Aug 17, 2022
Musk later said that after a follower asked if it was a joke, he revealed that the tweet was a joke. Seriously trying to buy Manchester United.
"No, this is a running joke on his Twitter. I'm not going to buy a sports team," Musk admitted.
Musk had previously tweeted in his April, "Buy Coca-Cola and get your cocaine back." In a thread where he said Musk was joking about buying Manchester United, he also said Coca-Cola's tweet wasn't serious either.
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Next buy Coca-Cola and undo cocaine
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 2022 April 28
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissiontweeted that it took Tesla private in 2018 at $420 a shareThe decision also led to Musk stepping down as Tesla's chairman and setting up a committee to oversee Musk's future tweets.
Read more: Donald Trump lashed out at Elon Musk at a rally, calling him a "bullish artist"
Musk is now on Twitter and The company has been embroiled in a legal battle for after a deal to buy the tech giant fell apart last month. refused to do so and claimed to have canceled the purchase.
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Twitter is now suing Tesla's CEO to force him to complete the deal. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in Delaware in October
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Musk sparks trademark legal battle for 'Queen' looks like he has endless potential to buy the world's best footballer, but many want the club back on top of a game that would have been a welcome prospect for Manchester United fans.
Manchester United, under Alex Ferguson, was arguably the greatest team in the world, winning 13 Premier League trophies and his two Champions League trophies. However, the team has struggled to win trophies since Ferguson's retirement in 2013.
Last season, United finished 35 points behind the club's local rivals, champions Manchester City, against the Glazer family, the team's American owners. There were protests.
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Many clubs' huge international fan-base supporters have opposed the Glazers since the club took control in 2005.
The latest low came on Saturday when United lost 4-0 to West London small side Brentford, who will be promoted to the Premier League in 2021. left in last place in the 20-team Premier League.
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Read More: Ezra Miller Silences The Manchester United Supporters Trust fan group, known as MUST, has slammed its owners after last weekend's game.
"What we witnessed tonight is a shame and a humiliation for Manchester United fans. Yet in many ways it was not a surprise."
"We believe that the owners of the club are largely to blame for this new downturn in a decade of decline," the fan club said in a statement.
— Using Associated Press files
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